Ten Years Later
by Jessalyn Sai
Summary: A ten year reunion show! Will Duncan and Courtney be able to get past all the lies and misunderstandings, or have things changed too much? Rated T for now. Later chapters will have a bit of fighting and language. DxC. Minor GxB, GxT, LxH, DxH
1. Courtney gets the call

**This is my first fic. I love the Courtney / Duncan pairing, so I thought about what might have happened to them after they left the island. I havent' seen the whole first season, so if things aren't exact, I apologize. And I don't own Total Drama Island nor have I received monetary gain from this fic. No copyrighting infringement is intended! I have the next several chapters done, but I figured I'd toss the first one out to see what people thought! Enjoy! **

**(Later that day...) Ok, so the response was overwhelming and I'm having a lot of fun writing this. The ideas are flowing and I hope you can all bear with me while it comes together! Thank you all again, please keep the reviews coming!**

**[6/12/13 - Edited several later chapters] Heard something about them cracking down on fics with song lyrics, so I updated to keep myself out of trouble and keep my fic from getting deleted :) Made my own song lyrics instead. Story is still the same though and I hope anyone who has read it still enjoys it!**

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Courtney sat staring out her bedroom window. It was a gorgeous summer day, though she felt a bit empty somehow. It had been almost ten years to the day since she first set foot on the dock at Camp Wawanakwa. Ten years ago she'd never dreamed she'd be where she was now. A successful businesswoman, engaged to a great guy, a house on the lake... but she was still empty.

The phone rang, bringing her out of her reverie. She picked up, sighing. "Hello?"

"Hey Courtney! It's Bridge!" Courtney and Bridgette had been very close since those days at camp. They lived only a few miles from each other now. Courtney had even been the Maid of Honor at Bridgette's wedding to Geoff. Many of the fellow campers had shown up to show their support of their old friends. Duncan didn't show up though... In the back of her mind, Courtney had known he wouldn't be there, but she still hoped.

She and Duncan had made a few attempts to get back together after Courtney had been voted off, but somehow they always lost touch. It seemed as though fate wasn't on their side, and their summer romance was simply just that. For the summer. She felt that maybe this was for the best, since after all, she was "by the books Courtney" and he was "bad boy juvenile delinquent Duncan." She'd heard that he had gotten married himself. Might have just been rumor though... At any rate, she had met another "by the books" guy, Rhett. And even though Courtney loved him, he never made her feel quite the same as Duncan ever had. But now she was committed to Rhett, as Duncan was committed to whatever girl he was married to now... she sighed again.

"Hey Bridgette, what's going on?" Courtney tried her best to sound cheery.

"You'll never guess who just called me..." Bridgette sounded very excited.

"Who?"

"Chris Maclean!"

"What?" Courtney laughed, "What the heck did he want?"

"C'mon Court... you know the answer. He wants us to do a ten year reunion show! Another eight weeks at Camp Wawanakwa to catch up with us all and see what we've been doing. "

"Oh please, like I'd want to go back there. What's in it for us? More D-R-A-M-A. As if we need any more."

They both laughed. The last few years had seen plenty of real life drama as another of their close neighbors, Heather, had done her share to make their lives miserable. Heather was the owner of an insurance business that was in competition with Courtney's firm. Since they knew each other, Heather did her best to drive Courtney crazy, trying to throw her off her game. Another reason that Duncan was so hard to forget about, was that Heather was constantly bringing him up.

_"What would poor delinquent boy have to say if he knew his Princess was involved with another man? He'd probably land himself back in prison!" -and-"Too bad you didn't end up becoming a lawyer Courtney! You could have helped your old boyfriend out a lot!"_

Courtney seethed just thinking about Heather's words. Bridgette spoke up in the silence, breaking Courtney's line of thought, "Soooo what do you think? Geoff and I are in. I figured I'd give you a buzz to see if you were up for it before Chris called to drop the news on you."

"I don't know Bridge... Im not sure I could handle seeing... _certain_ people again."

"Courtney, I'm disappointed in you. You're such a strong woman. Surely seeing Duncan again won't throw you off that much! He's probably changed just as much as the rest of us. Remember how Heather said he's married now? I doubt things will be the same as they used to be. And think about it! We'll see Leshawna again... and Gwen and Trent! It'll be great. And from what Chris told me, it's not going to be about elimination this time. We'll be doing some challenges again, but it'll be for a different prize each time. Who knows, you could win a new car or something."

Courtney laughed, "Yeah I could use one. And you're right, things have changed so much... I'm sure Duncan won't even notice me there."

"You have a while to think about it. It's scheduled to start filming again in about a month. Chris said it'd only fly if he got at least half of us back. So far it's just me and Geoff, Gwen, Trent, Leshawna and Owen I think. Duncan might not even be there."


	2. Duncan's choice

**Due to the large response I got in such a short time, I decided to put up each chapter I've written so far. More will come later. Thanks for your input! I look forward to more and I hope you all enjoy the rest. **

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"Yeah... count me in, man. Should be interesting to see what all the kids are up to... Yeah, Im sure it'll be a blast, Chris. Thanks for the call... Uh-huh... see you in a couple weeks."A black haired young man set down his cell phone. He smirked, turning back to another dark haired man sitting across a table from him.

"You called it, dude." He chuckled, tossing a twenty dollar bill across the table. They had bet that something involving Chris Maclean would be happening very soon. It was ten year after the fact...

"Seriously, Duncan... you want to do this? Won't it be kinda rough if eh... 'Princess' shows up?"

"Trent, my man! I can handle this." Duncan sat across the table from Trent and began shuffling through some papers. Each had a few sketches on them. Once Duncan had been voted off camp, he'd gone back home and behaved himself during the time he was trying to work things out with Courtney. He'd spent much of his free time in art classes, perfecting his craft, then he'd opened up his own tattoo parlor.

Trent studied Duncan's face for a moment, trying to decipher his mood. They'd been spending a lot of time together lately, since Duncan was now divorced. He needed someone around to keep his mind off his problems. Trent had picked up a new guitar and gave his old one to Duncan, spending a few days out of the week teaching the former juvey how to play. He wasn't bad either. Art, whether drawing or music, was definitely Duncan's niche.

Duncan chuckled a bit, picking up a sketch he was working on and showing it to Trent. "This chick wanted me to 'use my imagination'... 'I like bunnies', she says... reminds me of DJ." Trent laughed at the picture Duncan held. A small creature looked like a rabbit, all except for the fact that its face was a skull. Much like the skull he'd crafted for Courtney... he wondered if she still had it...

"Dude, that's your 'imagination'? I think you should dig a bit deeper, my friend." They both laughed.

"I figured I'd give her this to chew on for a while when we're all back at camp. Not so sure that chick really wanted a tat anyway. We'll see." Duncan placed the sketch on the top of the pile and set them aside. Trent caught a glimpse of the first tattoo Duncan had done on himself. A small scroll with the letters D.N.C. across it. Duncan rolled his eyes as he noticed the gears working in Trent's head.

"I've had this thing for a year now... and you still can't figure it out?" He pulled back the left sleeve of his t-shirt, showing the tattoo.

A female voice rang in from a side room, "The D stands for Duncan!"

"Wrong you are Gwen!" Duncan grinned at her as she came into the room, rolling her eyes. She made her way to the table, seating herself next to Trent. They'd been a couple ever since camp, but no engagement, no wedding plans... whatever... they were two of his best friends nonetheless. Gwen was great at helping Duncan out when he needed a new idea for a tattoo. Especially for a female client. She was also great at singing praises to the boys when they got into a guitar session. Some of their best stuff was just after Duncan split up with his wife. Duncan would belt out some of the loudest, most hardcore solos that Trent and Gwen have ever heard, like he was possessed. They'd recorded some of their sessions and hoped that maybe someday they'd get a drummer... maybe start a band? Who knew. They'd have a chance to jam for the world back at Camp Wawanakwa.

"So did I hear you right Dunc, you're going back to camp for the big ten year reunion?" Gwen smirked. "Just don't beat up Harold too badly. Wouldn't want you to go to prison. You're not a teenager anymore, remember."

Duncan's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Harold? He's coming back?" He instinctively pounded his right fist into his left palm. "Ohhh he's going to get it..." It was all because of Harold that Duncan's relationship with Courtney had been so short. He hadn't found out until well after the geeky redhead was safe out of his reach, or Duncan would have had his head on a platter for sure. He'd never been so angry. He'd fought so hard to get Courtney to admit her feelings for him, and to get that taken away so quickly... he clenched his fists and slammed them down on the table in front of him.

"He better stay out of my way. He thought the wedgies and underwear s'mores were bad... he took something from me that I can never get back. If I get my hands on him, he'll be in a coma until the twenty year reunion..." With the threats out of the way, Duncan sighed and sat back down. He ran his hands through his black hair. He'd let his green mohawk grow out and now he kept it back in a short ponytail. It still hung in his piercing blue eyes in the front, which made girls go crazy whenever they saw him. Unfortunately, it wasn't the one girl he wanted more than anything. Maybe he'd be able to find out what went wrong once he got back to camp. Sure, he wanted to see what had happened to all of his old campmates, and be able to show the world that he might be a bad boy, but he was a talented one... but more than that, just to see Courtney again, would make the last few years of pain worth it.


	3. Lies and Deceit

What truly happened between Courtney and Duncan in the past few years was simply one big misunderstanding after another. Throw in some conniving, some bribery, some misinformation, and a relationship that had so much potential turned into disaster and tragedy.

Harold hadn't quite had enough just seeing the look on Duncan's face as Courtney faded away on the Boat of Losers. The next few days of Duncan moping about had been glorious, but it just wasn't enough. He knew as soon as Duncan got off that island, he'd stop at nothing to get Courtney back in his life. Duncan was just that determined. So Harold made it a goal of his to continue to torture Duncan until he felt his revenge had been exacted.

He'd gone as far as to find out where Courtney and Duncan both lived and intercepted their attempts to write to each other over the years. He'd written a letter himself to Courtney's parents, outlining Duncan's criminal record, padding it with a few of his own imaginative stories, and enlisted their help to secretly rid their daughter's life of that evil young man that threatened to corrupt their perfect little girl. From that time on, Duncan and Courtney only spoke on their respective cell phones, which wasn't often since they were both quite busy with school.

Duncan began to think that Courtney didn't care for him the way he thought she had, and Courtney began to feel as though she was just another notch on Duncan's belt. Over time, they lost touch altogether, began seeing other people, which Harold used to fuel more rumors about their respective lives.

For a short while, Courtney and DJ had taken dance lessons together. DJ was like a brother to Courtney. He'd been there for her as a shoulder to cry on and she was there for him as a source of company. Feeling as though he needed to get out and socialize a bit more, Courtney had signed them up for dance lessons. Of course, when Harold learned this, he let some rumors trickle down to Duncan that Courtney and DJ were actually seeing each other. This sent Duncan off the deep end, landing him in serious depression for a few months until he started seeing a young woman named Tiffany, who he met during his art classes. Duncan was desperate to fill the void that Courtney had left, and so asked Tiffany to marry him.

Harold was thrilled, but decided to make things even more unbearable for poor Duncan. He went to Heather, bribed her to take her business closer to Courtney, and made sure she told Courtney that the old love of her life had married some skinny blond girl. To Harold's delight, this was all the information Courtney needed to hear to sway her in her decision to start dating Rhett. Duncan had broken her heart completely, and she decided it was time to move on. Within a year, Rhett proposed, Courtney accepted, and they proceeded with their wedding plans. Heather took it upon herself to spread the 'good news' Duncan's way, which crushed him even more. Tiffany had left him, feeling as though she wasn't really the one Duncan wanted in his life, and Duncan spent the next year trying to rebuild some sort of order in his life.

That was about two years ago. Gwen and Trent lived near Duncan's apartment, which was situated just above his tattoo parlor. He had a decent life now, but love was totally out of the question. He'd found the love of his life, and lost her. But he had his friends, and he had his talent, what more could he ask for?


	4. Will she, or won't she?

A few days later, Courtney jogged in the front door of her house, Bridgette close behind her. They had started to make a habit of jogging around the neighborhood, especially now that Bridgette only had a month before her grueling time back at summer camp. She felt the need to be in a bit better shape than what surfing alone could offer. Besides that, Courtney had been mulling over her old flame _way _too much lately, and jogging helped clear her mind.

As she went to the fridge for some water, the phone rang. "Hello?''

"Courtney!" _Oh no... it can't be..._

"Chris?" Courtney turned to Bridgette, rolling her eyes.

"Right you are, my friend! How've ya been?" Some things never changed... Chris was still as cheerful as ever.

"I'm fine, Chris. And I know why you're calling. Bridgette told me.''

"Alright, Miss 'I take the drama out of everything', so what's your answer?''

"I can't do it. My business partners can't handle me being out of town for two months."

Bridgette's mouth dropped. She was sure that Courtney was going to accept! Now she's just making excuses not to go? She shook her head, looking angry.

Chris continued, hoping to sway her, "Are ya sure? Duncan's coming back... I hear things haven't been so hot between you two lately. Maybe being back at camp will reignite the old romance eh?"

Courtney was trying to keep her cool, but all this talk of Duncan was making her a bit hostile. "Chris... thanks EVER so much for caring, but I'm not going back there to give you a ratings hike! I'm not a teenager anymore... I have a life now. I have a fiancée. I have a business. I have a house... I'm not going back. I'm sorry. I hope you all have a good time and I'll be sure to watch when it airs. Give my regards to everyone."

"Allllrighty. Well, the invitation is open until the boat departs for camp. If you change your mind, I _might_ be nice and let you come along."

Courtney was sure he was grinning from ear to ear on the other end of the line... and she was almost positive that he was recording the conversation. Whatever... she wasn't going back. "Great, thanks. Goodbye Chris." She hung up unceremoniously.

"Courtney... I can't believe you said no!" Courtney turned to see Bridgette red in the face with anger.

"I'm sorry Bridge, I just can't! I'd be miserable away from all this," she gestured with her hand around the room.

"Court... you have this amazing ability to lie and talk yourself out of things. You deny yourself any possibility of fun! I know you're not going because you're afraid of seeing Duncan again, but--"

Courtney cut her off, ''No! I'm not afraid of seeing Duncan! I couldn't care less about Duncan, Bridge! I just don't want all of my hard work to fall apart!"

"Courtney, Rhett would want you to go. You need a break before _you_ fall apart. You don't see how stressed you've been getting lately."

"That's right, muffin," Rhett had just come home from work. He walked up beside Courtney and kissed her cheek. He had brown hair, brown eyes, no piercings... oddly, nothing like Duncan. She smiled weakly at Rhett. He smiled back and rubbed her shoulder, 'You do need some time away from work. Go back and have some fun with your old friends. I'm not worried about Duncan. You shouldn't be either. I love you, you love me, nothing's going to change that. Go with Bridgette and Geoff. Hang out with your old dance partner, DJ. Show the world that 'by the books' Courtney can cut loose and have a little fun."

"Are you sure you don't mind, Rhett? What about my job?"

"I can man the fort for you. Your coworkers are competent people, darling. Otherwise, you would have fired them long ago." He chuckled.

Courtney looked back and forth between Rhett and Bridgette. She knew she was defeated. "Fine. I'll go start packing..."


	5. And the claws are out!

**(Just a quick language / violence warning here. Not too much, but just covering my tush!)**

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The next day, Courtney went out for a solo run. Bridgette had some errands to run with Geoff, so she wasn't able to join her. She passed by a small cafe, not paying attention to the patrons outside, but upon passing one table, she heard a familiar voice. "So... got talked into going after all?" Courtney stopped and turned. Heather...

She was sipping a tropical drink, but stood up and tossed a large wad of money on the table. Apparently to pay for the expensive looking glass she walked off the cafe patio with, since she caught up with Courtney, purse in hand. "Did Chris have to promise you that he'd honor your restraining order against our favorite delinquent?"

Courtney narrowed her eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Please, everyone knows you got a restraining order on Duncan, Courtney! He threatened to track you down for marrying some other guy…"

"I don't know where you get your information, Heather, but it's a crock. I never got any threats from Duncan. We haven't spoken to each other in years. How would he even know I was engaged? Isn't he too busy with his own wife?"

"Oh come ON, Courtney... we all know what's going on. All of us. Anyone who was on that island knows everything that's happened since we left. They all know about you and DJ hooking up, about Bridgette and Geoff getting married, about Gwen and Trent forming a band of some kind, about Owen and Izzy adopting a kid... about--"

"I think only one of those things has any truth to it at all. The rest is just a bunch of garbage. Who's been feeding you this crap, Heather?"

Heather laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh I have my sources. And it's all true."

"There's no truth to me and DJ. We took dance lessons together."

"I saw you together! Some kind of very steamy Latin dancing... you looked very cozy in each other's arms, shaking your hips like you were trying to put out a fire!"

"You're unbelievable... You lying, snotty, stuck up little bitch... you've been feeding everyone a bunch of lies... why??" Courtney wasn't used to using such harsh language, but Heather deserved it.

Heather narrowed her eyes, "How dare you call me a liar!"

She came at Courtney, grabbing a handful of her long, brown hair. Courtney reacted instinctively, tackling Heather around the waist, knocking her to the ground. They slapped and kicked and clawed at each other until Geoff and Bridgette happened to come out of a nearby grocery store. The couple rushed to wrestle Heather and Courtney away from each other. Heather was worse for wear, bruises all over her limbs, her lip bleeding heavily where Courtney had hit her with her three-karat diamond engagement ring. Courtney had a small scrape on her left cheek and a black eye.

Heather spat at Courtney. Geoff pulled her away, then pointed her down the road toward her home. She turned and screamed at Courtney.

"Just you wait, 'princess'... I'm going to make your life hell on that island!" Then she proceeded to grab her bag and limp down the street, glaring at anyone who was looking on in curiosity.

Courtney sighed, checking herself for more injuries. Bridgette began to giggle.

Courtney quirked an eyebrow. "What's so funny? She's a crazy woman!"

"Court... you beat her senseless. Where did you learn to fight like that? It was a catfight, but you threw in some good punches…"

Courtney blushed, "Um... Duncan had taught me a little... ya know.. like self defense. Just in case something like this happened…"

Geoff and Bridgette smiled at each other. Courtney examined her ring and giggled. "Not a scratch on it!"

Bridgette laughed, "Let's just hope she doesn't press charges for assault with a deadly weapon! I bet that really hurt... too bad THAT wasn't on TV."Geoff scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Courtney... why were you and Heather fighting anyway?"

Courtney balled her fists angrily. "She's been spreading a bunch of false rumors! Everyone thinks I have a restraining order on Duncan... that he threatened me since I'm marrying someone else. And... did Owen and Izzy really adopt a kid together?"

Geoff and Bridgette both shrugged, looking very confused.


	6. Total Drama Limo?

He was packed and ready to go... almost. Duncan rummaged through his dresser a few moments before finding his special spiked collar. This one had a large onyx gem on the front. He took off his usual collar, replacing it with the newer one, studied himself for a moment and smiled. He grabbed his luggage and made his way downstairs, carefully locking and rechecking each lock to his shop and his home. Somehow he felt like his life here was slipping farther and farther away. Not a good feeling.

Duncan sighed as he hefted his bag over his left shoulder and picked up his guitar. Today was the day they'd be heading back to camp. He'd heard from Chris that Courtney had decided not to come, so it was going to be a mostly bitter, semi sweet few weeks.

_Maybe it just wasn't meant to be after all_, he thought. _Who am I to stand in the way of Courtney's decisions? If she's happy, that's all that matters... I can't believe I'm thinking this way..._

He shook his head sadly and made his way to the limo that had pulled up. 7am on the dot. The passenger's side window rolled down.

"Duncan! Good to see you!" Chris smirked out the passenger side window. Duncan bent his head, peering in to see who was driving. Chef Hatchet.. who else? Some things have obviously never changed. Duncan chuckled a bit, walking to the limo, his right fist outstretched for his usual greeting. Chris rapped his fist against Duncan's, then extended his thumb toward the back of the limo.

"Trent, Gwen, Izzy, Leshawna, and Owen, all ready to go. You were the last for this neck of the woods."

Duncan walked to the back of the limo where Trent had already climbed out and was smirking.

"What do you look so happy about?" Duncan shoved Trent out of the way, grinning as he did when he was goofing around. He climbed into the limo, not waiting for a response.

Trent climbed in after him, shutting the limo door. "Let's go Chris," Trent hollered, then lowered his voice as he spoke to Duncan. "Got an email from Geoff, dude... the princess is being kidnapped from her castle."

Duncan's blue eyes went wide. "Seriously? Courtney's coming?"

Gwen began to laugh. "Sounds more like they're going to force her to go."

Trent leaned back in his seat, putting his arm around Gwen's shoulder. "No. Courtney really wants to come. She's just reverting back to her old self. Trust me, as much as she denies it, in the end, she'll be there willingly." He laughed out loud. "Oh yeah... apparently, she beat the hell out of Heather too."

Owen had been munching on some marshmallows that had been left in the limo for them, he snorted in laughter and nearly choked. Izzy gave him a swift chop to the back and the marshmallow flew from Owen's mouth, hitting the window just inches away from Gwen's head with a loud squelching sound. Gwen inched closer to Trent, disgusted.

"So like, what are you gonna do now that you know Courtney's gonna be back Dunc?" Izzy rambled on as she rubbed Owen's back where she had hit him. "Are you gonna pull a Tarzan and sweep her off her feet? Or maybe you can rent some armor and be like, her knight or something!"

Leshawna looked at Izzy, blinking. "Girl, you some kinda crazy!"

Gwen coughed, then spoke up, "Wait a minute. Isn't Courtney already married to some other guy? That's what Harold told me."

Duncan narrowed his eyes. "What else did he tell you guys?" His voice was a dangerous whisper.

Owen laughed nervously, realizing that wasn't such a smart thing to say. "It might not be true... I mean... he told a bunch of people that Izzy and I adopted a kid. We really adopted a dog. So eh--"

"So maybe he was flat out lying?" Duncan cut in.

"Hold up! My man is NO liar!" Leshawna was on the defensive. "Not his fault you all misinterpreted something he said!"

At this point, everyone began yelling at everyone else and in the front of the limo, Chris was watching. He'd installed special one-way glass just for this occasion. A new feature with this reunion show? The Chris-Cam. He decided he'd spend a bit more time mingling and catching some things the other cameras might miss. Hence, he was getting this verbal brawl all on camera.

Beside him, Chef sighed. "Gonna be a long summer."

Chris laughed, "It's gonna be_ AWESOME_!"


	7. Total Drama Limo part 2

Courtney was exhausted. She'd packed and unpacked at least three times during the night. Rhett had gotten so annoyed that he went to sleep on the couch rather than deal with her restlessness. She hadn't actually agreed to go, not technically. She felt like she was being bullied by Bridgette. Of course, she'd probably go crazy over two months without her best friend. Not like those two other girls that dressed alike.. talked alike... she shuddered. Wonder if they're coming back? Even DJ was heading back to camp, so besides Rhett and her job, she'd be pretty lonely.

She groaned loudly, throwing a pile of clothes into her suitcase. The more she thought about it, the more she began to worry about seeing Duncan again. Did he really tell someone he was going to make her pay for marrying another man?

_But wait... we're only engaged... what's going on? _Something wasn't quite right. If nothing else, she was going back to that island to get the truth. Duncan wouldn't hurt her on national television. Unless he'd just plain snapped and didn't care if he went to jail for the rest of his life.

_Alright Courtney, just stop it. You're trying to talk yourself into not going. It'll be fine. Duncan will have forgotten about everything by now. He's married, he has a life. You're just an old flame._

She sighed and finished packing. It was 8am. Chris said he'd be by in his limo around ten to pick Bridgette and Geoff up. Once she was packed and had everything in her car, she scurried around the house, making sure everything was in order and made some last minute calls to her office to be certain things would be set for the next two months. Two months... she looked around her clean, neat home.

_Why do I feel like this is the last time I'll see my life like this? _

She sighed again. Time to go...

She kissed Rhett on the forehead. "Goodbye Rhett. See you in a few weeks."

Rhett yawned. He smiled through sleepy eyes at her. "'Bye muffin. Have a good time. Don't worry about anything here. It'll all be taken care of."

Courtney smiled weakly, then grabbed her bags and walked out the door. Muffin... she hated that name. Didn't suit her at all. She hopped into her car and headed to Bridgette's house. 9:45 am. Only a five minute drive... but she lost herself in thoughts of camp.

_"Fine.. enjoy a peanut butter-less life." He turned his back to her smirking._

_"Thanks, enjoy prison." She grinned as well, turning her back to him, yet leaning back against him._

_"I will." He pressed himself closer to her._

What made her kiss him? She wanted to, but also enjoyed that Duncan kept asking for it. She just gave in. He drove her crazy for so long and she was stupid enough to mistake her feelings for him for loathing. Why was she so naive? Maybe if she had noticed sooner, like everyone else did, they would have had more time together. Damn Harold.. she hated him. That jerk would get such a kick in the crotch if she ever got her hands on him...

Her mind lingered back to her short, yet amazingly sweet kiss with Duncan. She smiled, her eyes half closed, mirroring the look in Duncan's eyes as she pulled away from him. She pulled into Bridgette's driveway, not realizing the couple was sitting on their porch with their luggage.

Geoff's eyebrows arched when he saw the look on Courtney's face. He nudged his wife gently with his elbow. "Hey Bridge... I've seen her look like that only once before... right after she kissed Duncan."

Bridgette smirked. "Really? You sure? That was a long time ago. Wonder what's gotten into her," she giggled and called out to her best friend. "Heeeey Courtney!"

Courtney snapped out of her thoughts, sitting forward too quickly and smacking her head against the steering wheel. "Ow!" She could hear Bridgette's stifled giggle and her footsteps outside the door. Courtney cupped her right hand over her forehead, opening the door with her left. She said nothing, but rubbed her head trying to get the pain to stop as she locked up her car and collected her things from the trunk.

"Sorry, Court," Bridgette was still smirking. "So eh.. what were you just thinking about?"

_Damn... she noticed. _"What do you mean?" Courtney made up a quick fib. "I was trying to remember if I'd gotten everything.. eh.. done before I left the house."

Thankfully, her friends knew her well enough to know when to back off, even when they knew she was lying.

"Did you?" Geoff had to push a little bit more.

He hadn't kept up on what Duncan was up to in the past few years, but he knew that if Duncan could see the feelings Courtney still had for him, things would be a lot different. He was hoping things would change for his friends now that they'd be together again. He'd sent an email to Trent letting him know Courtney had decided to go. Though he and Trent kept in touch, they tried to keep their noses out of their friends' business. No one really understood why Courtney and Duncan couldn't make things work, but fate had a strange way of working things out. Geoff decided, just this once, to help fate along. He knew Courtney was miserable with her life. She needed someone to shake things up a little. It would be an interesting summer for sure.

"Yes. Everything's set. Rhett said not to worry, he'd take care of everything," she looked down at her engagement ring.

Bridgette rested a hand on her shoulder. "Then trust him. Rhett's a smart, tough guy. He'll miss you, but, Courtney... I'm glad you're coming with us. You need this trip more than you realize."

Courtney wasn't really sure what the meaning behind that statement was, but before she could ask, she heard some very irritated driver laying obnoxiously on their horn.

"You guys wanna hurry it along? Last boat for Camp Wawanakwa leaves in an hour! Or ehhh-- whenever I get there cause I'm the host." Chris laughed from the limo. "Oh yeah, Courtney... I don't want any fights. No blood on the interior of this thing. I already had one incident with Owen and a marshmallow. Not cool."

The three friends looked very confused. Courtney turned her nose upward. "Alright, I can't deal with him. I'm not going."

Bridgette and Geoff grabbed her by the arms and forced her into the limo. After a brief struggle, she turned her attention to the rest of the people in the limo with her. Geoff had shoved all of their luggage into the trunk and climbed in. "Uh oh..."

There sat Eva, Katie, Sadie, DJ, Lindsay, Heather and Harold. Heather shot Courtney a look of absolute loathing, but Courtney had her sights on someone else. Harold smirked at her, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning back into his seat as the limo started to move.

Chris's voice chimed in over the speakers. "I feel the love back there guys! Really!"

Courtney raised her middle finger toward the front of the limo, making Katie, Sadie and Lindsay all gasp.

Chris chuckled, recording it all. "I'm gonna have to do some serious editing, man. The kids are grown up. Even Courtney learned some sign language."

Chef laughed, shaking his head. "Gonna be a lot of fights. Sure you're ready for this?"

"Ohhhh yeah. Ratings are gonna be great!!"

Courtney's glare could have burned a hole through Harold's skull. "Give me one reason I shouldn't claw your face off."

Harold shrugged. "Cause Leshawna's my woman and I think she'd have a thing or two to say to you."

"You'll pay for what you did to me, Harold."

"Don't take it so personally. I didn't do it to _you._ I did it to Duncan."

"_What??_ You're such a child, Harold! If you hadn't left your underwear lying around, maybe--"

Heather stomped her foot down. "Will you two shut up??"

Tempers flared and arguing once again erupted in the back of the limo. It took Bridgette, Geoff, Katie and Sadie to keep Courtney and Heather from coming to blows once again. Lindsay kept begging them to stop, while Harold continued to look smug and Eva laughed at the situation.

Chris surveyed the situation from the front seat. "Hey uhhhh Chef? You might wanna do a little speeding... things are starting to get ugly, and this is still a rental."

Without another word, Chef stepped on the gas, heading down to the harbor where the last boat waited to take them all away to Camp Wawanakwa.


	8. On the dock

Duncan was sitting on the dock, his back against his luggage, his eyes closed. Everyone was dealing with their nerves about this reunion in a different way. After their first taste of being back with the old crew, everyone realized this would be just as dramatic as Chris had figured it to be.

There would be some happy reunions, like Gwen and Leshawna, who were at the far edge of the dock, happily talking about their experiences of the past years. Mostly, there were not so happy reunions. It had taken Chef and Chris about ten minutes after they'd arrived at the docks to quiet Duncan and Leshawna. Duncan figured he'd let up about it for the time being. He had other scores to settle.

His hands were shaking slightly. He wasn't sure if he was getting so worked up over the thought of getting them on Harold's neck, or if he was just nervous about seeing Courtney again. What would things be like now?

Duncan breathed out heavily, trying to rid himself of stress. He opened one eye, looking annoyed, realizing someone was standing over him.

Trent looked down at him and grinned. "Hey, you ever gonna tell me what the heck that tattoo of yours stands for?"

Duncan looked to his left arm instinctively and made a muscle. He stood, smirking back at Trent. "Finally giving up, my friend?"

Trent shrugged. "I figured it was your initials. You gonna tell me, or do I have to beat it out of you?" Trent's grin widened as he got into a fighting stance.

Duncan laughed and put his hands up. "Alright, I don't want to fight you. Gotta save my fight for someone else, so I'll tell you. It stands for 'Does Not Cooperate'. Happy?"

Trent dropped his arms to his sides, paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Seriously? I should have been able to guess that."

"But ya didn't. Sorry, bro," Duncan slapped his friend on the shoulder. "And I'll prove in the next few weeks how little I cooperate. I have unfinished business." He drove his fist into his hand, a far off look in his eyes that made Trent a bit uneasy.

"Just don't do anything too bad. I don't want to have to visit my best friend behind bars." Trent actually looked worried.

Duncan laughed, clasped his hands together by his face and batted his eyes, "I didn't know you cared, Trent!"

Before Trent could retort with a desired shove off the dock, he turned, hearing a vehicle approaching. Very quickly approaching.

Duncan's eyes narrowed. "The limo. Gotta be Chris."

Everyone on the dock stopped what they were doing and gathered together to see who would be joining them.

The limo screeched to a halt. Chris jumped out of the front looking a bit frazzled, but smiling nonetheless. He waved to the crew on the docks. "Hey guys! Ummmm I might need a bit of help with this group. Someone set the lionesses loose a biiiiiit too early."

DJ hopped out of the back of the limo first. With the door open, the campers on the dock could hear the screaming coming from inside the vehicle.

Chris laughed uneasily. "Apparently I should have picked Courtney and Heather up in separate cars."

Duncan's heart nearly leapt from his chest. _So she __is__ here! _He was about to rush to the limo, but at that moment, Geoff emerged from the back, dragging Courtney with him, his arms around her waist. Courtney was swinging furiously, not at Geoff, but at someone in the limo. Wasn't long before they figured out it was Heather, who leapt out of the limo just after Geoff had gotten Courtney a safe distance away. She rushed at her foe, but was soon intercepted by DJ.

"Just wait until we get back on that island, Courtney! You'll be sorry you ever laid a hand on me!" Heather finally let up, straightening her torn tank top and trying to straighten her lopsided ponytail, which it appeared Courtney had tried to tear off.

Courtney pushed Geoff away from her, wiping a bit of blood off the side of her face, which Heather had raked with her nails. "Yeah, I'm just sorry there were people keeping me from ripping your hair out, Heather! Next time you might not be so lucky!"

Despite the situation, Duncan actually smiled. He never thought he'd see the day that Courtney got into a fight with someone... and managed to come out on top! Seems like the little bit he taught her ten years ago was paying off. He wanted to go to her, to hug her and tell her how much he had missed her. Unfortunately, as Courtney ran her hand through her long brown hair, Duncan caught a glimpse of something that made his heart break. A large diamond on her all important finger. _So it is true... she did get married. _To make matters worse, his worst enemy had just stepped out of the limo. The only thing that stopped his ravenous anger from pouring out was the fact that Leshawna had gotten to Harold first, picked him up in a bone-crunching hug, and was now fussing over his puffy eye. Duncan watched this for a moment, his emotions running rampant inside his head. Anger, jealously, sadness, and a little bit of joy... apparently, from Harold's body language, it had been Courtney who'd put him in the state he was in as well. _Good girl, _Duncan thought with a slight smirk. _Now it's my turn._ He'd lost Courtney for good, so now all he could do was make certain that Harold felt every little bit of pain that he had experienced for the last ten years.


	9. No Turning Back

With everyone settled down as much as possible, they gathered their belongings and headed onto the boat back to camp. The ride was calming and quiet. Anyone with a loathing for another competitor did their best to stay away from their enemy, though Courtney was graced with several looks of hatred from Heather. Chris spent some time talking to the group, letting them know a few of the prizes they would be competing for once they got back to camp.

Cars, trips, some cash prizes here and there, the usual. This wasn't about elimination. It was about showing who was the best. And for some, it was about revenge, righting wrongs, and settling scores.

Courtney, at this point, felt as though she had the most reason to be here. She had been blind to how deep the lies had gone after she was voted off the island. Now all she could do was dish out some payback, but certain things could only be cleared up, not changed. Duncan would never be hers again. The least she could do was say she was sorry for not trying harder to keep them together all those years ago.

_That could take a while, he won't even look at me. Maybe he really has forgotten. _Courtney began to wonder if maybe she should just leave well enough alone. She'd feel a little better after torturing Heather and Harold. Maybe she'd get them to confess to the world what a couple of scheming backstabbers they really were.

DJ approached Courtney with a smile and a hug. Courtney gladly returned the gesture, happy to see a familiar face that wasn't set with a look that could kill. "Hey, girl. I brought a CD player with some of our old favorites. Thought maybe we'd get back into step while we're out here."

Courtney nodded, remembering some of their old routines. "I think that's a great idea. Show the world what we're made of, right?"

It was killing Duncan to see Courtney so happy. He hadn't been able to muster up enough courage to even go say hello to her, and it didn't help that she hadn't even looked in his direction. At the moment, she was talking happily with DJ. Hadn't they been together at some point? He began to wonder what was truth and what wasn't. As he was pondering, a voice broke his thoughts. "Aren't they just adorable?" It was Heather.

Duncan shot her a look of disdain. "So what made Courtney slug ya, doll? Stick your nose where it shouldn'ta been?"

Heather laughed off the comment. "Please. Wouldn't you want to stick your nose in her business? I heard she went to legal action to get you out of her life. That's harsh! Poor guy. Does your wife remind you of the stuck up little CIT?"

Duncan narrowed his eyes and took a step toward Heather, making her jump back. "I'll tell you right now, Heather. You're treading in some dangerous water. I don't usually hit girls, but keep pushing my buttons and I might make an exception."

Heather regained some of her brass and stepped toward Duncan, closing the distance between them. "Touch me and I'll make sure you land in jail with no chance of seeing the light of day ever again." With that, she stomped off to her own little corner of the boat. Duncan watched her go, his blood boiling. If it was possible, he hated her just as much as he hated Harold.

Chris looked at his watch, and then craned his head to look out of the closest window. "Oh hey! We're baaaaack!" He pointed. There was the island and Camp Wawanakwa. Everyone groaned. There was no turning back now.


	10. Bridgette Smells Something Funny

**Language in this one guys. A bit longer chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this part. **

* * *

Once everyone made it out onto the Dock of Shame, Chris clapped his hands together. "Alright, listen up people! Tonight, you have a chance to unpack and have some R an' R. Tomorrow's your first challenge. The prize? A trip for two to the lovely Bahamas to melt away your stresses from being back _here!_" He laughed at his own joke. No one else did. Chris cleared his throat. "Oooookay. Anyway, girls, you're in that cabin," he pointed to a blue cabin. It was larger than the cabin they'd shared ten years ago. At least they renovated. "Guys! You're in that cabin," He pointed to a similar red cabin across the way from the girls. "A few changes have been made this time around. Due to our increased budget, Chef Hatchet can serve you decent food on a more regular basis. Not to mention you have nicer accommodations now. Also, we've set up a nice little cove toward the eastern part of the island that will have no cameras. The only catch is, you're only allowed there twice in a week for a total of three hours." He shot a look to Geoff and Bridgette. "And no hanky panky. I don't care that there's no cameras and that you're married. This is still a family show!" Geoff whistled and looked innocent, while Bridgette blushed fiercely. "I'll announce the first challenge tomorrow morning. Gniiiight!"

They all made their way to their bunks and unpacked without too much incident. The girls did their best to keep Heather and Courtney away from each other, though the room was thick with tension.

Over in the guys' cabin, things weren't much better. Harold was looking smug, which really pissed Duncan off. It was all he could do not to punch the geek square in the nose. Duncan gritted his teeth and unpacked his things, shoving his clothes into a dresser with unnecessary force. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed DJ finish unpacking and leave the cabin in a bit of a hurry. Duncan shook his head. He shoved his bag underneath his bed when Geoff plopped down in front of him on his bed. Duncan wasn't in the mood.

"Sup Geoff?" Geoff spent a moment trying to judge Duncan's state of mind.

"Dude... have you talked to her yet?" Geoff spoke in a low tone, trying not to get anyone's, particularly Harold's, attention.

"Who?" Duncan knew where this was going, but he wasn't going to let on.

"Courtney, dude. Have you said anything to her yet?"

Duncan shut his eyes, trying to look angry. He didn't want to talk about this. "Why, Geoff, would I want to talk to her?"

Geoff looked a bit startled. He thought for sure Duncan was still crazy about Courtney, but from his reaction, maybe what she had said was right. Maybe he had gotten over her.

Duncan saw that his act had worked. "Had it figured wrong, didn't you? Sorry pal, nothing personal. Courtney and I haven't spoken in years. I'm certain a few weeks won't change that." He gave Geoff a light punch on the shoulder. "It's good to see you though, dude. Can't wait to catch up."

Geoff still looked startled. "Dunc, why didn't you come to my wedding?"

Duncan had been making his way out the door, when he stopped and turned, looking thrown by that question. "Because I never got an invitation." He walked out without saying another word, leaving Geoff looking all the more confused.

_Yes we did invite him... what happened?_

* * *

_**6 years before:**_

_Harold gave a crisp dollar bill to the young boy who'd once again delivered the mail to him from Duncan's mailbox. _

_"Let's see... ah, the letter Courtney sent him... annnnnd.. oh. Geoff and Bridgette's wedding invitation? Heh, can't have him going there and running into Courtney. That'd throw a wrench into things."_

_He took the two pieces of mail and gave the rest back to the boy to deliver back into the mailbox. _

* * *

It was getting darker. Duncan had taken a walk around the island, getting familiar with the surroundings again. He headed up the stairs to his cabin when he stopped, noticing something else familiar. He grinned as he took a step toward the front of the cabin, seeing the skull he'd carved into the wood there. He traced the outline with his finger. "It's still here..." He turned and was stabbed in the heart by another memory. Before him was the railing where, ten years ago, Courtney had been throwing up from peanut butter sandwiches. The place where she had first kissed him. Seemed like so long ago. Longer than it really had been. Almost like it was in another world. The one where he and Courtney fell in love and lived happily ever after. He walked to the railing, placing a hand on it. He ran his fingers along the underside of the railing until he felt what he was looking for. Making sure no one was looking, he hopped over the railing and looked at another of his masterpieces. A small smirk came to Duncan's lips as he studied the mark he'd left there. _D.N.C. Duncan N Courtney. _Sure, that's not what he would tell people it stood for. How would it look if he told his best friends that the first tattoo he'd ever given himself was a reminder of his feelings for a girl he lost years ago? _A little nuts? Yeah that's what I thought. _He whispered, "I really miss you, Princess.."

He stood up and headed back up the stairs to the cabin. He stopped again when he heard music coming from the beach nearby. His curiosity got the better of him. He hopped off the stairs and made his way to the beach. Little did he know that his moment of nostalgia had been caught by someone lurking in the bushes nearby.

As Duncan made his way out of sight, a voice came out from the bushes. "Ahaha! I knew it! He still loves her. And I got the proof!" Chris jumped out of the bush and walked off whistling, camcorder in hand, looking pleased with himself. He decided to follow Duncan and see what happened next. Sure, the cameras were all rolling, but since most of the group was down by the lake, precious moments like that one didn't always get caught.

Down at the beach, there was a large bonfire. Harold and Leshawna were off to one side, roasting hot dogs, looking cozy. Heather was surveying the scene with a look that crossed between manic glee and jealousy. Everyone else was actually having a good time. Most of all, Courtney and DJ who were at the center of attention. Upbeat Latin music blared from the CD player that DJ had brought along, and though dancing in the sand was a bit difficult, the two were having fun trying. Courtney was graceful for the most part, but a few times when DJ meant to spin her around, she ended up in the sand, giggling uncontrollably. This made DJ and the others laugh too, but each time, he picked her up and they continued. An impressive display from both of them. Geoff and Bridgette, Trent and Gwen tried as well. They ended up in a similar giggling heap in the sand.

Lindsay tried dancing by herself, but tripped over her own feet. Katie and Sadie clapped from a nearby log, gazing longingly at DJ, who'd gotten into great shape from dancing.

Courtney noticed this more than once and whispered the fact to DJ, whose mouth dropped as he glowed a bit red.

Duncan had arrived just in time to see Courtney whispering something to DJ and his reaction. He quirked an eyebrow. Of course, Heather had noticed too. Having also noticed Duncan nearby, she decided to push her luck a bit more. She strolled up to him as casually as she could, seeing the look of loathing in Duncan's eyes as he stared at Courtney. "Not really acting like a married woman, is she? Maybe your bad boy influence has worn off on her."

Heather leaned against Duncan, the back of her hand caressed his cheek. "I like bad boys," she whispered seductively.

Duncan hadn't even noticed that Heather was so close to him. Otherwise he would have decked her for insinuating that Courtney was fooling around, but her sudden change in tone threw him off. Before he could say anything, Heather had wrapped her arms around him and caught him further off guard with a very passionate kiss.

Courtney sat on the ground, giggling with DJ about Katie and Sadie when Harold called her name from nearby. Turning her head to grace him with a glare of death, she caught a glimpse of someone on the slope of sand leading up to the cabins. "Oh... my... freakin.. gosh. NO." She covered her mouth.

Bridgette saw the look on Courtney's face and followed her gaze. There were Heather--and Duncan... kissing!? "Gross... that can't be right."

Courtney had turned her head, burying her face into DJ's chest, but Bridgette kept watch. _Something just isn't right. I can smell it... _Heather pushed Duncan backward, out of sight. She decided to do some snooping. She caught the end of a crackling voice from across the bonfire. _"--plished."_ Harold had a walkie talkie. _Oh yeah... smells like bullshit to me. _She excused herself from the party and headed up the beach.

Duncan's head was swimming. He snapped out of it, but he was sure that someone down at the fire had noticed what just happened. Heather had pushed him back behind a tree and was gazing at him contentedly. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gave her a not so friendly shove. "What the hell were you thinking, Heather!?" He wanted to backhand her, but he stormed off towards the cabin. He needed some of that alone time. He was going to catch some kind of hell for that little incident, but he wasn't ready for it. He hoped that Courtney didn't see that.

Heather watched him go and chuckled softly. She pulled a walkie talkie out of her shorts pocket and pressed the button. "Mission accomplished."

* * *

**Earlier that day on the boat:**

"Ok, so... we gotta do our best to keep those two away from each other," Harold whispered to Heather. "I think some more misdirection is in order. Maybe if they think that you're interested in Duncan--"

"Oh are you kidding?? That's disgusting, you dweeb." Heather crossed her arms over her chest. "Me, interested in that jailbird?"

"Cmon.. Think of the look on Courtney's face when she sees it. It'll rip her apart..." Harold looked a bit crazed at the thought. "I'll even double the offer." He pulled out a wad of bills.

Heather's eyes lit up. She snatched the money out of Harold's hand and stuffed it in her pocket.

"Done."

* * *

Heather turned to head back to the party to see what grief she'd caused, when she ran right into Bridgette. Heather looked annoyed. "Out of my way, surfer girl."

"What are you up to, Heather?" Bridgette fixed her with a stony glare.

"I was just enjoying some private time with the man of my dreams," Heather swooned, faking some weak knees.

For the second time, she was shoved rudely out of the way. "You're in deep, Heather. I'm going to find out what's going on. When I do, you're going to be very sorry you chose Courtney to play your games with."

"Whatever, Mrs. Cowboy. You'll see that Duncan and I were made for each other." Heather nearly threw up with those words. Maybe she should be an actress.

Bridgette left Heather, shaking her head in disbelief. She was going to find Duncan and get the truth. She hated seeing Courtney so miserable. When she made her way to the cabins, she noticed Duncan leaving with Trent's guitar. _What are you up to, Duncan?_ She followed behind him, not wanting him to know she was on his heels. Of course, having caught most of this drama on tape, they were followed by Chris and his Chris-cam.

"This is too good," Chris whispered. "I can't decide whether to let this go, or to break down myself and help these two blind lovebirds find their way back to each other." He paused. "Eh.. I have to let it go. I can't get involved... plus, the ratings are gonna be phenomenal!"


	11. Duncan's Private Show

** Hope you all enjoyed the rest of the chapters I've added. I will try to update more very soon. R&R (and slight language warning) ****[6/13- Edited this and other chapters to avoid TOS violations for using song lyrics. Hoping it doesn't take away from the story, I'm still very fond of it] **

* * *

Duncan wasn't quite sure how he got to the cove without getting lost. He wasn't paying attention. He'd just grabbed his guitar and marched off. He was beyond angry. The whole world just saw Heather kiss him, and he was so stunned, he let it go on for much longer than it should have. It wasn't even good, it was just unexpected. Duncan had no idea what the reasoning was behind that kiss, but he hoped like hell it would never happen again. As much as he threatened her with bodily harm, he really never intended on hitting a woman. No matter how much he hated said woman.

Duncan reached the cove and found a fire pit surrounded by logs, similar to the place they had the bonfire that night on the beach. It was beautiful here, closed off by trees, quiet. A real paradise. He checked his watch. 10:17pm. The sky was clear, lit by every star. He began to think about Courtney. Had they ever had the chance to work things out, he would have loved to come here with her some night. He sighed deeply, then removed the guitar from its case. When he first arrived, he wanted nothing more than to hit some heavy chords on the instrument. That always calmed him down. Now that he was here, he was calmed just by the sounds of the water lapping up onto the sand. He sat down and placed the guitar over his lap. He began to play the first thing that came to mind. At first, he simply strummed the notes, a melody he used often but had no words for, then he closed his eyes and began to sing.

Bridgette had finally caught up with Duncan, but stayed out of sight. She saw him sit down and to her amazement, start playing Trent's guitar. She listened for a moment, not recognizing the song, but it sounded like a ballad. Bridgette smiled and stayed behind her tree, listening to the performance he didn't know was being watched by not just Bridgette, but by the Chris-Cam as well.

Duncan's words came out with a bit more force than he had intended, but he was getting into the moment.

_"It was ten years ago to the day, when I watched her walk away, and my life was never quite the same."_

He stopped playing. What Bridgette and Chris didn't catch was that Duncan was getting a little choked up, thinking about nothing but Courtney as he sang. He took a deep breath and continued, a bit softer. This song could end up being something special, but for now, it was just feelings.

_"Cause she still has my love, she still has that fire. She still has everything it takes to inspire me to be me."_

Bridgette's heart nearly melted. Duncan was really talented! But who was he singing about? It definitely didn't seem like something he would sing to his wife. Then again, she didn't notice him wearing a ring when she first greeted him earlier that day. So who was he singing for? Heather? She was disgusted by the thought. Surely he was singing that for Courtney. She would have to corner him and find out. At the moment, he was bending down, drawing something in the sand. She was about to step out from her hiding spot when Chris startled her from behind. "Doing a little spying are we?" Bridgette jumped and screamed.

Duncan finished singing for now. Sadness weighed too heavily on his heart to continue on. He bent forward and began to draw his tattoo in the sand. D...N...C... _Time to get over her Duncan, _he thought. _She's happy. Just move on. _A scream pierced through his thoughts and he turned to see Bridgette fall on the path. "Great.. company..." He picked up his guitar and bolted into the forest on the opposite side. He figured that Bridgette and Geoff had come to find him and ask him what was going on. He still wasn't ready to face the music.

Bridgette watched as Duncan disappeared into the forest. "Dammit, Chris!" She stood up and brushed herself off.

"Man, that kid can belt out a tune can't he?" Chris seemed unfazed by Bridgette's angry outburst. He walked over to the spot that Duncan had occupied not two minutes ago. "Haha, he left his mark." Chris pointed to the drawing in the sand.

"What does that mean?" Bridgette turned her head to study the sand sketch.

"I think it's his tattoo. I overheard him telling Trent that it means 'Does Not Cooperate' or something like that." He shrugged.

Bridgette noticed the camcorder in Chris' hand. "Hey! I thought you said this place was off limits to cameras!"

"I did. I didn't say it was off limits to personal recording devices. Why else do you think I'd tell you and Geoff to keep your dirty deeds out of this place? I don't want to sneak up and catch you two doing the nasty. I've seen enough of Geoff's naughty bits to last me a lifetime." He shuddered, recalling the extreme moose-riding challenge and Geoff's untimely decision to show Bridgette the tattoo he had on his butt.

Bridgette shook her head. "Right. I'm heading back now."


	12. First Challenge

**Ok, so that last part was sadly not as good as I thought it would be. I wrote it very early in the morning, so I apologize for the constant switching of points of view. What a tangled web I weave evil grin It'll all fall into place, I'm just hoping I still have your attention. Reviews would be nice. (Thanks to CourtneyxDuncan for all the positive encouragement!)**

**Alright, so this challenge took some planning. The story is mostly about Duncan and Courtney, but I thought I'd throw in some show-related stuff. It'll be relevant to the story and fun for Heather and / or Harold haters (like me!) Ok, enough of my babble. Here goes nothin! (Language warning!)**

* * *

Bridgette returned to camp, fully intending on telling Courtney what she had seen. As she walked though, she wondered what would happen if she told her that Duncan had been singing to her, but she turned out to be wrong? Courtney's heart had already been broken enough by that deviant. She'd just have to wait until she found out what was going on. _I'll get Geoff to help me corner him in the morning. _

The wake of the events that happened that night caused more turmoil than Harold or Heather could have ever hoped for. Duncan had simply disappeared and Courtney was in hysterics, once again trying her best to get to Heather and rip her apart. DJ felt the worst of Courtney's wrath, as it was up to him to hold her around her slim waist, getting hit with punches and kicks from the former CIT. Most of the campers looked on in awe. When did Courtney get such a fire under her ass?

Bridgette returned to the scene, dashing to the rescue when she noticed her friend in such a frenzy. It appeared she'd be the only one that could stop the madness. Chris had returned as well. He made his way over to Heather's side.

"Hey Heather? Don't think your actions went unnoticed. I don't usually get involved other than making my quick witted comments," he smirked, tossing his hair, "but that was low. Even for you. Leave the girl alone will ya? For your own safety, I'm sending you to a private bunk for the night."

Heather just glared at Chris for a moment. "Keep your nose out of it. And show me to my bunk. Wouldn't want Princess of Crazyville strangling me during the night." She raised her tone, wanting Courtney to hear her. "I can't help it if her favorite convict has the hots for me. That kiss was amazing!" She sauntered off to gather her belongings, leaving DJ and Bridgette to calm a newly infuriated Courtney.

Chris waited a moment, and then turned his camcorder onto himself. His face was somber. "Mark my words, people. That girl is in for some serious trouble. Once the truth comes out. Ouchtown." He grinned and exclaimed like a kid in a candy store, "And I'm gonna be there to catch it all!"

* * *

**Confession Cam: **  
Gwen- "I really don't know what is going on, but Courtney is seriously pissed. Heather had better watch out if she ends up alone with that girl..." She pauses, then grins. "I only hope I'm there to see Heather get pounded."

Geoff- "It's really sad to see what's ended up becoming of Duncan and Courtney. It seems like fate just dealt them a really crappy hand. I don't know if they'd believe the truth now if someone spelled it out for them."

DJ- Rubbing various bumps and bruises. "Man! That girl hits hard. Scary."

Harold- "I almost feel bad for Courtney. Almost. But without Duncan around, this reunion has been amazing. Heather's just my pawn. She hurts Courtney which in turn hurts Duncan. Such a vicious cycle. Could have all been avoided if Duncan wasn't such a jerk all those years ago. Payback sucks, doesn't it?"

* * *

Courtney lay on her bunk later that night, sobbing heavily. Bridgette sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her best friend's back, trying her best to comfort her. The girls weren't getting much sleep. Aside from Eva, who couldn't have cared less, they stood around Courtney's bed, offering support.

"Girl," Leshawna started, "Heather is a hussy, plain and simple. Bad guys go for hussies, know what I'm sayin? You deserve so much better. I hear your man is a real charmer!"

Courtney looked up from her pillow, a retort forming about the hussy comment. _Had Leshawna deemed her a hussy since Duncan went for her at one point??_

Bridgette saw the beginnings of another heated argument and cut Courtney off. "You were the best thing for Duncan, Courtney. He just chose not to see it. Don't let this bother you. Heather will get hers. Duncan will probably just hurt her too. You have Rhett! A charmer, a really great guy!"

Courtney looked at Bridgette, her dark eyes full of tears as she thought, _But I don't love him._ It was obvious how she felt about Duncan from her sadness and jealous outbursts. How could she tell him though, when he'd forgotten what they used to have? How could she ruin Rhett's life by leaving him? How could she live with herself, chasing a delinquent who obviously didn't care who he was with? All these questions ran through her head as the girls surrounding her tried to offer her condolence.

"Enough. I just want to sleep ok?" Courtney laid her head on the pillow and let out a few more sobs before she fell asleep.

With that finality, many of the girls went to bed, only a few hours ahead to rest before their first challenge. It would be a rough day.

Bridgette rose from Courtney's bedside, happening to glance out of the window. Geoff was outside, walking down to the fire pit. For a moment she considered heading out after him, but she was exhausted. She'd talk to him tomorrow about the situation with Duncan.

* * *

Geoff walked down to the fire pit. He wanted a bit of fresh air without all the commotion before he went to sleep. No one had found Duncan after he took off, following that incident with Heather. That chick had some nerve. He locked his fingers behind his head and whistled as he made his way down to the beach. A voice startled him.

"Would ya knock that off? I'm trying to sleep here."

Geoff looked down to see Duncan lying on the beach, a guitar propped next to a log beside him.

"Dude, we were worried about you. What happened?" Geoff sat on the log next to Duncan. He'd half expected Duncan to ignore his inquiry and feign sleep, or simply get up and leave. Instead, the onyx-haired ex-con opened an eye and looked at Geoff, his eyebrow quirked.

"I thought that was obvious. I wanted to get away from everyone. I keep telling myself that Heather never really kissed me, that it was a bad dream. Courtney... she saw, didn't she?"

Geoff nodded slowly. "She went nuts, dude. When Heather came back here, I thought Court was going to rip her throat out."

Duncan's lip curled in a smirk, but he said nothing. Geoff couldn't judge what that smirk really meant. Was he pleased that he was making Courtney so jealous, or was he happy at the thought of Heather getting what she deserved?

Geoff was beginning to become annoyed. How could his friends be so blind? "Duncan, seriously man, what's going through your head? I thought you and Courtney were tight. But you stopped contacting her, you went and got married! You have any idea what that did to her?"

Duncan sat up, seeing red. He snapped his head in Geoff's direction, speaking in his slow, dangerous whisper. "Ohhh you have it all wrong, pal. Courtney was the one who ended us. She changed her number, never answered my letters, then she went and married the first guy she met! She wanted nothing to do with me after the show, Geoff. _She_ ended it. I wanted her to be happy. So," he deflated, holding his head in his hands, speaking the words he never thought he'd tell anyone, "I let her go."

He stood, grabbing his guitar. Geoff followed suit. As Duncan started off toward the cabin, Geoff called after him. "Hey. There's something you should know, Duncan."

Duncan turned, his face exhausted. He couldn't take much more tonight. "Out with it."

Geoff half smiled. "Courtney and Rhett aren't married yet." He turned, clasped his hands behind his head, and walked toward the lake, whistling as he went.

Duncan's mouth had dropped open, slowly registering what Geoff had said. He yelled after the blond skater. "You'd better not be lying to me, Geoff!" Geoff gave him a thumbs up, but kept walking.

_Not married yet? Where did that line get crossed? Maybe there's still a chance. _He absently touched the onyx gem on his collar. Duncan hoisted his guitar to his shoulder and headed to his cabin for some much needed rest. He'd figure things out tomorrow. The most important thing was to get Courtney alone so they could finally talk.

* * *

In spirit and tradition of Total Drama Island, the contestants were rudely awoken by Chris over the loudspeaker. "Good morning campers! Get dressed and meet in the mess hall in ten minutes! And don't wear any of your good clothes. Things are gonna get reaaaally messy today."

Courtney groaned and put her pillow over her head. She felt awful. She was already a mess. Bridgette had to drag her out of her bunk to get her motivated to move.

"You'll feel better once you eat, Court. C'mon." The blond surfer grabbed the former CITs wrist and dragged her toward the mess hall.

The two girls were the last to arrive. Courtney plopped herself onto a bench between DJ and Bridgette. She looked up, happening to catch a glimpse of Duncan from across the mess hall. He was staring right at her! He waved, just enough for her to catch, and smiled weakly. She shot him a look of hatred and turned her nose up. What a jerk! How could he even think about being the least bit friendly now, after what he'd done just the night before!? Chef had set a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her. She stabbed at the eggs with her fork, looking miserable.

Duncan was sure of it now. She'd seen Heather kissing him yesterday and she was upset. His first attempt to make contact with Courtney was a complete failure. He poked his eggs with his fork, not really hungry at the moment. Trent had bolted down his first plate, then looked at Duncan with a slight incline of his head as if to ask, "You gonna eat that?" Without a word, Duncan dumped his food onto Trent's plate. At least someone felt normal.

Geoff had seen the brief exchanged between Duncan and Courtney and was about to mention his late night conversation with Duncan, but Chris burst in and interrupted. He was holding a bucket behind his back.

"Alright, listen up! To remind you again, your first challenge will be in competition for a trip for two to the Bahamas. I've set up a little tournament of sorts. And I wasn't kidding when I said it was gonna be messy. What's the event?" He turned bucket over, a glop of mud slapping onto the floor of the mess hall in a soggy heap. Chef did not look pleased, but Chris paid no mind. "Mud wrestling!"

Most of the girls and a few of the guys groaned. Izzy and Owen actually cheered, causing looks of disbelief from the other campers.

Leshawna stood up from her breakfast. "Now I know you didn't just say that, Chris. Ain't no way this girl's gonna climb into a mud pit!"

Chris smirked. "Mud baths are good for the skin. Trust me! Now!" He clapped his hands, rubbing them together. He wheeled a chalkboard into view. It had the matches already laid out in the shape of a tree, branches at the bottom snaking up to the top two, which would show the final match. "First, here're the rules. There aren't many! Each match is one round, save for the final showdown. You can win by forcing your opponent to submit, or by forcing them out of the ring. If you leave the ring, you are OUT! The final round will consist of three matches. Best out of three wins the trip. Here's the line up for ya. Matches start in ten minutes. Duncan, you'll be wrestling Geoff."

Duncan laughed, shaking his head. "This is ridiculous."

Chris continued, "Harold, you'll be fighting," he pointed at Heather. "Heather!" Chris chuckled. The look on her face was priceless. And, oh yes, he had been in charge of the match-ups. It hadn't been a coincidence. "I think you two have issues you need to work out. Have fun!"

Everyone looked at each other, wondering what he meant by that. Heather glared at Harold. "You're going down, dweeb." Harold narrowed his eyes warningly.

Chris cleared his throat, demanding attention. "Trent, you and DJ will mix it up. Gwen, your opponent for round one is Bridgette. Courtney! You'll be duking it out with Eva."

Courtney had a deer in the headlights look. _Eva? She'll pound me! _She looked slowly in Eva's direction. The large girl pounded her fist into her hand, smirking. Duncan noticed and did not look pleased. He walked up to Eva and whispered to her.

"You hurt her and I'll make you regret it, got it?" And he left just as quickly, returning to his seat, commencing a glaring contest with Eva.

Chris finished up his list of the first round fights. "Katie, you and Sadie will get dirty together. Leshawna, you'll be fighting Lindsay, and last, Izzy, you'll face off against Owen. Don't like the line up? Too bad. See you in ten minutes." He turned on his heels and walked off. Katie and Sadie sat at the table looking stunned. Their eyes welled up with tears.

Katie burst out crying, then turned to hug Sadie. "I don't want to fight you Sadie!"

Sadie followed suit and began to cry as well. "And I don't want to fight you either, Katie!" Everyone groaned and got up from the tables, leaving the two wailing girls by themselves.

**Ten minutes later...**

The group stood around a fifteen foot diameter pool that had been filled with sloppy, disgusting mud.

"So nasty," Heather commented as she looked upon the mud pool. "If I get mud in my hair, Harold. You are so dead."

Harold grinned, rubbing his hands together when Heather turned her back. As much as she had been helping him out in his grand scheme against Duncan, he still couldn't stand her. She was stuck up and full of herself. Even if he didn't get past this first round, he would still enjoy shoving her face in the mud.

Chris shouted unnecessarily through a megaphone. "Time for the rumble in the mud pile to begin! Duncan, Geoff, you're up!"

Duncan rolled his eyes and climbed into the mud pool. It was cold on his bare feet. He picked one foot up hearing a loud squelching noise. Standing on one foot, he glared at Chris, the clear message of _I hate you, Chris _crossing his visage. Geoff had jumped in as well. "Dude, this is not right."

Duncan smirked and commented under his breath. "I think we ought to throw Chris in when this is all said and done."

Geoff snorted with laughter. They took their positions on opposite sides of the mud pool.

Chris got his 'Chris-cam' ready to go. "Alright gentleman... in three, two, one!" He pulled out an air horn and pressed the button, oblivious to the fact that he blew it right into Lindsay's ear. She cringed and shouted something, but it was lost in the noise of the air horn.

Geoff and Duncan grabbed each other by the shoulders, attempting to push each other into the sticky mud underneath them. They were evenly matched for the most part. Geoff decided that since they were there, he might as well talk to him some more. "Hey.. Duncan?"

Duncan grunted against the strain of trying to take Geoff down. "What?" Why was he talking to him in the middle of a challenge? It was throwing him off. Was Geoff smart enough to be that sneaky?

"Dude, ya tried talking to Courtney yet?" He grunted some more as Duncan put his leg against his calf. That sneaky bastard was trying to trip him up! He grabbed at Duncan's leg, attempting to drop him onto his back. To his surprise, Duncan laughed a bit. Apparently, he was having a good time.

Duncan grunted again, grabbing Geoff's right wrist. He twisted it, causing Geoff's knees to buckle and fall into the mud. Duncan pushed Geoff's arm into his back and used his free arm to grab the skater around his neck. Now that he had the upper hand, Duncan felt like talking. "No, I haven't. Why do you ask? I tried to make some contact with her this morning, but it's obvious she's not too happy with me."

Geoff strained against Duncan's grasp, knowing he was beat, but not ready to give up just yet. "You.. gotta do it.. dude. Things are way too messed up-" he gasped for air, Duncan let up slightly. "-between you two. Don't just let her go. Be as determined as you used to be." Geoff really wanted to just tell his old friend everything, but he didn't think he'd believe him. It was important that he and Courtney discover all the misunderstandings that led up to the present time.

Duncan mulled this over for a few moments, then whispered his response. "She's happy, Geoff. I don't have any right to destroy that." Before the blond could say anything further, Duncan wrenched his arm up further behind his back, making him yelp in pain.

"Alright! I give! I giiive!" Geoff flailed with his free hand for a moment until Duncan released him.

"And Duncan moves onto the next round!" Chris yelled through the megaphone. Next to him, Lindsay had somehow found a pair of fuzzy pink earmuffs. She grinned, the sound of Chris' bellowing now much lower.

Duncan smirked and ran off toward the dock to clean up. He jumped high into the air and performed a perfect cannonball into the water, earning him some appreciative cheers and even a small grin from Courtney.

"Owen, Izzy, you're up!" Chris bellowed.

Izzy hopped into the mud pit and proceeded to roll around in the mud. She snorted like a pig a few times, then growled as Owen entered the ring. As the air horn sounded, Izzy barreled headfirst into Owen, but bounced off his large stomach and found herself outside the ring. "Owen wins!"

DJ and Bridgette both had trouble with their footing- DJ fell and knocked himself out, while Bridgette slipped and fell out of the ring, sending Trent and Gwen on to the next round. Lindsay whined about not wanting to mess up her pedicure until her opponent, Leshawna, picked up a handful of mud and flung it at the blonde's face. Lindsay screamed in horror, ("My mascara!") and ran off, earning her a disqualification. Katie and Sadie both entered the ring, but continued to hold onto each other, wailing about how they didn't want to fight each other. Izzy tried to offer her assistance.

"Oh c'mon you two! It's easy! And fun!" She got down on all fours, growling like a dog as she did before. She leapt onto both of the whining girls, knocking them both from the ring. Chris shrugged, clearly annoyed with the two twin wannabes, and declared Izzy the winner.

Only two matches remained in the first round. Heather against Harold and Courtney against Eva. The muscle-bound female had handed Courtney a piece of paper, suggesting she fill it out. The words "Last Will and Testament" were scrawled across the top. Courtney had crumpled the paper and threw it angrily in an arbitrary direction. It smacked Heather squarely in the back of the head. Not that it hurt, but now she had another reason to torture Courtney.

Courtney climbed into the ring for her match with Eva. How unfair could this be? She had CIT training and dance classes. What good would that do against this beast of a woman? She did her best to try to formulate some kind of strategy, but Heather's voiced pierced her concentration.

"Hey Courtney! Don't worry about it if you get hospitalized by crazy Eva! I'll take good care of Duncan!"

Courtney gritted her teeth and growled angrily. Before she knew what she was doing, she had picked up a handful of mud and hurled it in Heather's direction. Heather had ducked just in time. Lindsay caught the blow instead and she once again ran off screaming about her makeup.

Eva chuckled as she entered the ring. "What's wrong Miss CIT? Can't handle some the pressure? Don't worry. I'll make this quick." She rushed Courtney after the air horn blew, but she was slower than usual because of the consistency of the mud. Courtney, however, had an adrenaline rush thanks to Heather's taunting. She wanted to rip that little hussy's hair right out of her scalp, but first things first. Courtney dodged Eva several times, waiting for the right moment. Eva became more frustrated and more tired from chasing Courtney down. That's when she made her critical mistake. Believing she had the girl within reach, she lunged, and then faltered. Courtney lowered her shoulder and rammed into Eva, but Eva grabbed the other girl's tank top. They both tumbled out of the ring, Courtney ending up on top of Eva, her feet still just inside the pool.

"Courtney takes this round!" Chris exclaimed. Lindsay had returned just to get another earful of Chris' megaphone antics. Becoming annoyed, and slightly deaf, she grabbed the megaphone from Chris' grasp and thunked him over the head with it. "Ow!" Chris rubbed his head, glaring at the mud plastered blond. "Yeah, so Heather, Harold. You two are up... and that's gonna leave a mark."

Harold climbed into the ring, wearing only a Speedo, much to everyone's displeasure. Heather climbed in gingerly, her face an unmistakable cross between hatred and disgust. It was anyone's guess who'd win this round. Neither competitor was particularly strong, but they were both crafty schemers. With the exception of Leshawna, who was obviously cheering for Harold, no one particularly cared who won this match. Duncan had returned to the ring just to see who he was going to face in the next round. He'd love to make a mud pie out of either one of them. No matter what happened, it was bound to be entertaining.

The two glared daggers at each other for what seemed for quite a while. When Chris had finally drawn out the suspenseful moment as long as he could bear, he signaled the start of the fight.

* * *

**Alright, so I had to throw in a cliffhanger. Not to mention the fact that this chapter ended up being waaaay longer than expected. You'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens in the final match of the first round!! And for the record, after seeing tonight's (9/18's) episode of TDI, I will enjoy every moment of torture my story inflicts upon Heather.**

**I'll conclude the mud wrestling event in the next chapter. R&R please!**


	13. And the Winner Is?

**Alright, here's the conclusion to the wrestling event. My apologies for how long it took to update. I don't have a good excuse and I won't make a bad one :) But I hope the time that I spent perfecting the end result will be worth the wait. There is language and violence in this chapter, especially toward the end. **

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think! I'm off to write the next chapter. **

* * *

Chris had signaled the beginning of the match, though Harold and Heather still glared at each other from across the pool of mud. Heather was growing tired of Harold's constant scheming. It had consumed most of his life after their time at Camp Wawanakwa, to the point it could be labeled "obsession." Not that Heather minded in any way, shape or form the torture they'd inflicted on the lives of their two old campmates, but she wanted to be in charge for once. Maybe after she won this round, she could blackmail Harold into going along with some of her ideas. Beating that dweeb was just the first step. Plus, she didn't mind the idea of getting some payback for all those years ago when she lost her halter top during a challenge and gave Harold (not to mention everyone else!) an eyeful of her chest. She became enraged at the thought.

"Alright Harold, you're going down!" Heather bellowed and pointed at the thin redhead.

Harold chuckled. He had her under his thumb. Either result of this match would be interesting. If she won, she would likely try to exude some kind of power over him and their plots against Duncan and Courtney. If that was the case, he'd have to turn on her as well. Truth and lies had been so intertwined that no one really knew one from the other. He could simply sprinkle more into the mix and make it look as though Heather was the mastermind behind it all. He'd covered his steps carefully enough over the years so no one would be the wiser if that's what it boiled down to. Should he win the match, he'd have that much more to use to blackmail the brunette vixen with, but he'd also have Duncan to face in the next round. That was a bit unsettling. He smirked, a new plot forming in his head: A way to win all around. _Perfect._

He grinned widely at Heather, waving her toward him. "Come get me."

Heather fumed. She attempted to run at him, but forgot that she was standing in a mud pit. She fell forward, barely avoiding a face-full of mud. Just what Harold was hoping for. He rushed forward and grabbed a handful of her long brown hair, yanking her head backward. He put his face down by her ear and began to whisper to her, looking around to be sure no one was close enough to hear. They were too busy laughing at Heather's misfortune. _Perfect._

"Listen. We both know I'm no match for Duncan. And I know he wouldn't hurt a woman, no matter how much he'd like to. We're going to put on a good show here, Heather, but I'm going to throw the match. Then you can fight Duncan and make Courtney even more jealous. You've already proven you're good at it. Keep it up and I might consider a pay raise for you."

Heather had grabbed Harold's hand, trying to free her hair. She'd heard his proposition and thought about it as she struggled against him. He had already paid her quite well for the help she'd given him so far, and now he was going to give her more? _I suppose I can put up with him for a while longer. _

She whispered back to him. "Deal." Unfortunately, a part of the deal she hadn't counted on was getting her face planted into the mud, which is exactly what Harold had done. She stood up, infuriated, letting out a shriek of anger over getting mud in her hair.

On the sidelines, Lindsay let out a similar scream of horror, grabbing her own hair. "I can't believe she got mud in her hair! That's worse than death! Poor Heather." Chris, Trent and Gwen shook their heads at Lindsay's outburst, and then continued to watch the match.

Heather and Harold spent the next few minutes knocking each other into the mud and screaming various insults at each other.

Duncan watched from the sidelines, not able to resist throwing in a couple taunts of his own. "This is the battle of the weaklings! C'mon Harold, my grandmother has more fight in her than you!" Okay, not the wittiest remarks he's ever made, but he got some laughs. At this point, he really hoped that Harold would win. Not only would it embarrass Heather to no end, but he'd really love to get his hands around Harold's scrawny throat. It would be almost tragically easy for him to hoist Harold over his head and toss him out of the ring, but he wouldn't end it that quickly. He'd make the skinny red-head submit. Had he not been concerned about this show being on national television, nor the certainty of going to prison, he would beat Harold within inches of his life. Luckily for Harold, Duncan had toned down a bit in the past few years.

Across the mud ring, Courtney was also hoping for a win from Harold. From what she had witnessed recently between Heather and Duncan, a mud wrestling match between those two might border on R rated. The thought of it made her ill. Upon hearing Duncan's childish insults, she had looked up, giggling a bit despite herself. To her shock, he was staring right at her!

Duncan had caught Courtney's eye. He smiled at her, hoping to break through the ice fortress that had been erected between them, but she averted her gaze to the ring and the combatants inside. Duncan watched her expressions for a few moments, thinking to himself how much more beautiful she had grown, despite the splotches of mud that adorned her caramel complexion. The only thing that ended up tearing his eyes away from her was the collective gasp from the rest of the contestants around the ring.

Harold had collided with Heather, nearly knocking her off her feet and out of the ring. He had grabbed a hold of her tank top and yanked her back in, but in doing so lost his own footing. He fell backward, toppling out of the ring, but had neglected to let go of Heather's clothing. First there had been silence, then a collective gasp, followed by a sickening rip of fabric and another squeal of terror from Heather. Harold lay on his back outside the ring, his eyes wide and star struck, until Leshawna slapped him across the forehead for staring.

Chris yelled through the mega-phone, "Heather is the winner!" As Heather huddled herself into a ball in the mud, covering her once again exposed chest. As she waited for someone to come along with a towel, she wondered if Harold had planned things that way, or if that had been another stupid fluke. Either way, she was not happy.

Several of the campers, especially Duncan, roared with laughter. Even Courtney was laughing, though she was trying to hide it. She wouldn't wish that kind of embarrassment on anyone, not even Heather…. Okay, maybe Heather. She looked up, hearing Duncan's tones over all others. She wondered how he was laying there, clutching his sides in pain from laughing so hard, while his girlfriend, fling, whatever Heather was to him, lay half naked in a mud pit on national television. Had he become that cruel?

Chris shouted through the mega-phone as Chef mercifully arrived with a fresh towel for Heather, "Alright, here're the standings so far and the next round of fights!" He wheeled out the chalkboard with the roster.

Duncan V Heather

Trent V Gwen

Courtney V Izzy

Leshawna V Owen

"Your next round of matches starts in fifteen minutes. Heather, I'll be nice and make Trent and Gwen go first so you can go find a new top to wear. I know how much you like being topless, but this is a family show!"

Heather glared at Chris. His sarcasm was getting to be too much. She stormed off to the cabins to find another tank top. She felt awful. Duncan would be the one to feel her wrath.

Courtney and Bridgette had broken off from the rest of the group and jogged down to the beach to clean up a bit. Duncan was considering going after them, finally seeing a chance to speak to Courtney, but Leshawna's sudden outburst caught his interest.

"Harold! Why did you help that little hussy?" She hovered over a cowering Harold, pointing her finger accusingly.

"W-what are you talking about? I was trying to push her out!" Harold made an unconvincing attempt to look innocent.

"Looked more like you were _trying_ to get another look at her chest!" Leshawna suddenly gasped and looked as though a horrifying realization had just hit her. "You… you and Heather… there's something going on between you two! I knew it!! Always sneaking around, whispering together. Uhn-uh honey, I ain't bein' played like that. You can take your skinny behind elsewhere. We are through!" Without staying to hear Harold's pleas, Leshawna marched down to the beach behind Courtney and Bridgette, leaving him on his knees, looking pitiful.

Duncan eyed Harold suspiciously. He wasn't completely sure, but he started to get the feeling that perhaps Leshawna had hit the nail on the head. Maybe there was something going on between Heather and Harold, and something told him that it had a lot to do with the fact that he and Courtney hadn't been in contact since they set foot on the island.

Trent had appeared at Duncan's side. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder looking concerned as he had seen the look in Duncan's eyes. Something was up. "Wheels are turning bro. You starting to get the feeling that things aren't right?"

Duncan nodded slowly, still glaring at Harold. "I'm starting to think I've been getting set up, but I can't get within ten feet of Courtney without her giving me the cold shoulder. The closer I think I'm getting, the further away I feel. I gotta think of a way to get to her without Heather or Harold screwing it up. I gotta know one way or the other, dude."

Trent was a little confused. "Know what?"

Duncan looked at his friend and smiled. He looked around to see if they were being watched and satisfied that everyone else was distracted, he pulled up the sleeve of his t-shirt, exposing his tattoo. He pointed at it. "I gotta know if this can be saved."

Heather had returned a bit early. She surveyed the situation and noticed Trent and Duncan speaking quietly together, just out of earshot of a now sobbing Harold. She edged closer to find out what was going on. It seemed as though the two dark haired boys were doing some plotting of their own.

Trent continued to look confused, then he shook his head and ruffled Duncan's hair. "You're a really bad liar you know? Gwen and I knew for a while what it really stood for. Listen. I think I know of a way that you can get Court's attention without anyone really knowing it. It'll also give a chance to show the world what we can do with a couple of guitars, get what I'm sayin bro?"

Duncan smirked and nodded, then pounded Trent's knuckles with his own. "I get what you're saying. What did you have in mind?"

Trent whispered something to him that Heather didn't catch. Duncan was obviously pleased since he grabbed Trent by both shoulders and proclaimed him to be a genius. She'd have to watch this closely. She couldn't have her meal tickets working things out now, could she?

Chris returned to the mud pit, surveyed it, then began to usher something unseen into view. A series of beeps signaled a large truck backing up from somewhere. The contestants watched as a cement truck made its way onto the grounds, backing toward the mud pit. Chef Hatchet stopped at the edge of the pit and dropped the back of the truck, dumping a new load of fresh mud into the combat area.

Duncan chuckled and pushed his friend toward the ring. "Looks like it's about time for you and your lady to get down and dirty, pal."

Trent wasn't so sure he liked that idea. He had been trying to decide, ever since he knew that he and Gwen would be in a match against each other, whether to throw the match or actually try to make it look like something entertaining. He definitely didn't want to hurt her, or get hurt himself. Should either of them win the final match, both of them would be going to the Bahamas, hands down. In the end he decided he'd beat Gwen in the nicest way possible since it was highly likely that Duncan would beat Heather to go to the final four. As much as he'd like to believe his friend wouldn't harm his girl, Trent thought it would be safest for Gwen if he was the one to fight his ex-juvey pal.

Chris looked at his watch and yelled through the megaphone. "Time's up people! Heather's back and properly dressed, the mud pit has been properly refilled, and it's time for Gwen and Trent to take their proper positions inside the ring."

Duncan muttered, "He says 'proper' once more and I'll toss _him_ into the pit."

Trent and Gwen got into the mud ring, both looking amused. Gwen wasn't sure if she could beat Trent, nor was she sure that she even wanted to. He'd have a much better chance in going to the final match than she would, especially if Duncan beat Heather, which she figured was highly likely. Of course, in the event she didn't lose, Gwen would love nothing more than to beat the snot out of that stuck up little backstabber.

"Alright Trent, don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're my boyfriend." She graced Trent with her sweetest smile.

Trent grinned back, shaking his head. "Sorry, Gwen, but I'm taking this match. I wouldn't want my girl getting hurt fighting with Duncan in the next match."

Gwen looked a little angry. What made him think she couldn't beat Duncan? They'd gotten into a couple of screaming matches over stupid things throughout the years and Duncan would always lose those. How different would this be? Right? "What makes you think I'll go down without a fight?" She put her hands on her hips.

Trent advanced on her and cracked his knuckles, looking menacing. "I don't think, Gwen. I know." He grabbed her around the waist and pushed her down into the mud. Instead of a mud fight, it became a tickle fest.

Gwen squealed and kicked her feet, but she knew it was over. She was horribly ticklish. As much as she tried to fight against Trent and get back to her feet, he was just too strong for her. She gasped for a breath and screamed, "Alright! I give!"

Trent stopped his assault and picked Gwen up from the mud. He carried her out of the ring and set her down, smirking. "Told ya."

Gwen glared at him and then began laughing. "That was so unfair!"

Trent bent down and kissed her muddy cheek. "Hey, I had to do something to keep you from getting hurt. You want to complain? Tell it to the judge." He pointed his thumb at Chris. Gwen rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around Trent's waist, hugging him.

Duncan walked up beside them, stretching his arms, readying himself for his match against Heather. "Dude, you better not try that tactic on me." Trent looked at him, confused. Duncan turned to him and grinned. "I'm not ticklish." The three of them laughed.

Heather glared from across the mud pit. Time to make him miserable. She looked around casually, wondering if her other enemy was nearby. No luck. Bridgette, Geoff, Courtney and Leshawna were all on the Dock of Shame, not paying attention to the challenge at hand. Not that it mattered. She could flirt with Duncan during their match and the rest of the contestants would pass the information on to Courtney. Nothing stayed secret for long here.

Chris shouted through the megaphone once again. "Okay, so Trent advances by way of submission! Nice tactic pal. So the next match is Duncan against Heather."

Duncan jumped into the ring, his game face on. Heather on the other hand, looked as though she was completely smitten with the man across the pit from her. She smiled at him, batting her eyelashes. "I really don't want to fight with you, Duncan. You're so strong and… and," she hesitated, looking as though she was having difficulty with her next words, "sexy. I care about you so much, Duncan!"

Duncan smirked and pounded his right fist into his left palm. When he spoke, his voice was low, full of sarcasm and warning. "Yeah Heather, I care about you too. So much so that I really wish it had been Harold that won instead of you." He slowly advanced on her, looking like a dangerous criminal. "I really wanted to fight Harold, but," he smiled, a cold and twisted smile of evil. Trent hugged Gwen closer out of instinct. He was disturbed by the way Duncan was acting. Hopefully he really was just acting and hadn't snapped, otherwise, Heather was in serious trouble. "But I guess I'll just have to take out my aggression on you instead."

Heather was actually a bit frightened. Duncan had always been intimidating and not afraid to show it, but he was acting crazy now. She had to think fast. She dropped to a crouch in the mud and began to sob, willing herself to create authentic tears in her eyes.

Duncan stopped just short of Heather's huddled form and noticed her shuddering. When she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with tears. In the back of his mind, he patted himself on the back for his acting ability. He'd scared her so bad she was bawling!

Heather choked out in between her sobs. "I- I... can't believe… y-you… would… h-hit a girl!"

Duncan rolled his eyes, letting his head fall back to the side for a moment, taking his eyes off of Heather. This turned out to be a big mistake. "Oh please, Heather. You had it comin--" As he turned back to Heather, he got a large glop of mud right in his face. He stumbled back, trying to get the mud out of his eyes, but Heather took advantage of the situation and shoved Duncan backward out of the ring.

Shouts of outrage erupted from the group around the ring. Everyone expected Heather to pull some sort of scheme, but no one expected her to actually win. They were looking forward to seeing Duncan toss her around a little.

Duncan wiped his face with the back of his arm. He looked up to see Heather smirking at him triumphantly. She bent down to him, "See sweetie? I have the brains, you have the brawn. That's why we're perfect for each other!"

Duncan jumped up. She finally pushed him too far. He picked Heather up roughly and tossed her face first into the mud pit, receiving cheers of delight from everyone nearby. Chris raced to the pit with his Chris-cam to get a close-up. Duncan had climbed back into the pit and grabbed Heather's hair, yanking her head up for Chris to get a good shot. Duncan leaned down to her and whispered, "Sorry babe, we'll never be perfect for each other. And for the record, you suck at kissing." He drove her face into the pit and stormed out, still angry about the loss.

Heather peeled herself up from the mud and stormed off in the direction of the showers. She began to wonder if a trip to the Bahamas was really worth the humiliation she'd just suffered. She'd just have to get revenge on her next opponent: Duncan's best friend, Trent.

Courtney had made her way back to the challenge area, just in time to see Duncan and Heather stomping off in separate directions, both covered in mud. Apparently they'd had a lovers quarrel.

Chris laughed and shouted through the megaphone after the two were out of sight. "Riiiight. So Heather advances. She and Trent will face off in the next round to see who's in the final. Getting down to the wire here guys. Courtney! You and Izzy are up."

This match became a mudslinging fight more than a wrestling competition. Unfortunately, Izzy's obsession with mud got the best of her. After plowing Courtney, half of the onlookers, the cameraman, and even the Chris-cam with handfuls of mud, Izzy hit the wrong person. Eva stood in the crowd, mud dripping from her large eyebrows. She did not look pleased. The next moments saw Eva tackle Izzy from the ring, earning Courtney a win, and then the two girls fought their way back into the ring, rolling around in the mud, throwing punches and kicks in all directions.

After Chef Hatchet, Trent, Duncan and Geoff got the two rowdy females out of the ring, Owen decided to jump in and roll around himself. It was supposed to be his match against Leshawna, but once she saw Owen's antics, she turned her nose up and walked away. "Uhn-uh.. you can forget it, Chris. I ain't gettin in the ring with that! He can have the match." Owen was on all fours snorting like a pig.

Chris shrugged and revealed the standings again.

Heather V Trent

Courtney V Owen

"Once Heather gets back from pouting… er.. I mean _powdering_ her nose… we can start the semi final matches." Heather was standing behind Chris, glaring at him for his comment.

"Let's just get this over with. That trip is mine." Heather sauntered by Trent, winking at him. She climbed back into the pit. As Trent climbed in on the other side, Heather began to play her games once more. "It's ok Trent, I know you'll fall for me the same as Duncan did."

"Doubt it, Heather. I'm a bit quicker than Duncan. I tend to notice the obvious things." He grinned at his friend. That had been a loaded statement. He wondered if Duncan had noticed. By the look on his face, he had.

"What is that supposed to mean, bro!?" Duncan shouted from the sidelines, still stinging from his loss and not happy that his friend was taking shots at him now.

Trent tried to cover up his indiscretion, realizing he'd hit a nerve. The last thing they all needed now was Duncan more upset than he already was. "Nothin, man. I was just saying that I'm a little bit faster than you are.. uh… physically, you know?" He wasn't making things any better.

"Would you like to prove that?" Duncan was walking to the ring, cracking his knuckles. "Speed had nothing to do with my loss against that cheating little wench." He pointed at Heather who had been momentarily forgotten. Apparently, neither man had learned not to take their eyes off of the sneaky brunette, since as they were distracted, Heather had grabbed a rock out of the mud pit and launched it at Trent. Duncan saw it coming, but wasn't fast enough to even warn Trent of the coming danger, let alone push him out of harm's way. Gwen screamed as the rock bounced off the back of Trent's head and he fell unconscious into the mud. After a ten count by Chef Hatchet, Heather was declared the winner of the match and Trent was whisked away on a stretcher to the medical tent.

Courtney glared daggers at Heather. She commented to Bridgette, who stood next to her. "Does her conniving know no bounds?"

"Apparently not. You know she stopped at nothing before to get what she wanted. She's never backed down when it came to the competition between your business and hers. What makes you think she'd be any different here?"

Courtney gritted her teeth. "I hope I can find a way to beat Owen so I can put Heather in her place."

Owen had appeared beside Courtney and put his hand on her shoulder. "You won't have to, Courtney. I want to see you beat the snot out of that girl." Owen was glaring at Heather as well. "She's gone far enough. It's time someone stopped her. By the sound of things, it should be you." Owen walked up to Chris and began talking to him.

Courtney watched in interest as Chris shrugged and nodded, then laughed as Owen turned away from him, rubbing his hands together. Chris lifted his megaphone.

"Okay people, I have an announcement. Owen has decided he doesn't want to fight Courtney. So that means Courtney and Heather will fight in the last match." This drew a number of cheers from the crowd. "Here's the deal. This last match is three rounds. Anything goes. I won't bother to tell you two to fight clean because I know you aren't going to. The winner of this match gets all the glory and gets to unwind in the Bahamas at the end of the summer. We've got two beds set up in the medical tent, so if you guys get too rough, we've got a team ready to take care of you!" Chris laughed and pulled out his air horn. Heather and Courtney entered the ring from opposite sides, neither taking their eyes off the other.

Courtney got a few shouts of encouragement. "C'mon girl, you can take her!" From DJ.

"Don't take any crap from that hussy, baby girl!" From Leshawna.

"I got a lot riding on you, Court! Don't disappoint me!" From Bridgette.

Duncan took his place at the front of the crowd. He felt like it was right for him to be there. Even though he and Courtney hadn't spoken and he wasn't sure what was in store for them, he wanted to be there to support her. He whistled loudly and shouted, "Wipe the floor with her, Princess!" Then Chris sounded the horn for the match to begin.

Courtney had heard Duncan's voice, but couldn't wrap her mind around his words. He'd called her 'Princess'. It used to be his term of endearment for her. What was he trying to pull? Was he trying to throw her off so Heather could win? There wasn't more than a few seconds to ponder these questions before Heather bore down on her, shouting angrily. Courtney was blinded by pure hatred for this girl who'd taken advantage of her any chance she got. Not this time though. There would be no holding back.

The first round was almost too brutal to witness. Courtney and Heather had done the catfight thing a week ago, but now it was stepping up a notch. There were screams of pain and grotesque profanity as Courtney grabbed Heather's hair and drove her face down into her knee. She jumped on Heather as she hit the mud, pummeling the fair skinned brunette with punch after punch. This would have continued, but Heather grabbed a handful of Courtney's hair, holding her head as she lifted her knee, catching the former CIT in the back. Courtney shouted in pain and collapsed to the ground, holding her back as Heather got up, wiping blood from her nose. She pointed down at Courtney. "You'll never be good enough to beat me, Courtney. I'll always come out on top over you, no matter what it's for."

Courtney struggled to get to her feet. She stumbled, her balance off, and Heather took advantage. She rushed Courtney, who was already falling backward, and shoved her out of the ring.

Chris shook his head, having been in a bit of a stupor over the bitter battle taking place in front of him. "Heather, one. Courtney, zeroooo!"

Courtney pulled herself off the ground and stretched her back. Heather stepped to the side of the ring, smirking at Courtney. "You could just give up. You know you're going to lose. Over... and over... and over…"

Courtney had never been more angry or insulted. She leapt back into the ring and just as Chris has blew the horn to signal the second round, Courtney grabbed Heather by the back of her head and punched her hard under the chin. The shock of the blow sent Heather stumbling backward and out of the ring.

There were high fives and cheers all around. Duncan smiled and whispered, "That's my girl."

Heather was tired of being humiliated. She screamed and jumped back into the ring, charging Courtney, who had backed herself into the center of the ring. She wasn't about to get tossed out again.

Chris yelled quickly as the girls went back after each other, "This is the last fight! Courtney and Heather each have one win. Whoever wins this takes the trip!" Though at this point, everyone had their eyes fixed on the ring and Chris' words went by the wayside.

The match continued for what seemed like an eternity. Everyone, aside from Harold, was rooting Courtney on. Chris was enjoying the fact that the fighting was so intense. He could go back later and edit the severe parts, but this was going to put his show on top of the ratings chart. Not to mention that without even knowing it, Courtney was getting revenge for all the wrongdoings Heather had been involved with. It made Chris feel a little better for not getting involved. Sadly, it seemed as though too much damage had been done to the relationship between Courtney and Duncan. Ratings would be even better if they worked things out. He smirked. Maybe it was time for him to work his own brand of magic.

The punches and kicks became harder and placed in vital areas. It appeared the two girls were not necessarily trying to win, but trying to inflict as much pain on each other as possible. Heather focused her hits on Courtney's back, while Courtney had gotten in quite a few hard punches and kicks to Heather's knee. They'd tried several times now to get a ring out on each other, but each girl was wise to the other's plan and it wasn't happening.

Heather began to panic. Her knee was getting too weak to hold her up for much longer. That crazy woman was trying to kill her, she was sure of it! Courtney made another attempt to kick Heather in the knee, but she caught her off guard with her own kick into Courtney's stomach. She grinned, seeing her opportunity to end the match. Courtney was close to the edge of the ring. Heather hauled off and kicked her again, this time in the chest.

Duncan saw what was happening and reacted before he even realized what he was doing. He lunged forward and caught Courtney as she was falling, and shoved her back into the pit.

Heather was outraged. "She should be disqualified! That was blatant cheating!"

Chris laughed. "I didn't see anything. Not to mention, this match doesn't have any rules."

Courtney caught her breath as Heather argued with Chris. Duncan had just helped her. _Nice try, pal. You're still not going to get into my good graces. You've hurt me way too much._ She thought bitterly. Though she began to recall how Duncan had won his match against Geoff. If she couldn't push Heather out, she would just make her give up. Duncan had taught her a few submission holds back at camp ten years ago, including the one he'd used on Geoff. She stood, noticing Heather had her back turned. Courtney lunged forward, grabbing Heather's left arm and kicking the back of her injured knee. She roughly wrenched Heather's arm back, twisting it up behind her back and using her leverage to yank upward. Heather screamed in surprise, then pain.

Courtney leaned down to Heather's ear. "Give it up. It's over, Heather." She dug her nails into the injured girl's wrist, causing her even more pain. Heather shouted again.

"Okay… okay!! I give! Let go of me!" She was in too much pain to bother fighting anymore. She'd come up with a way to get back at Courtney later. It wasn't over yet.

Courtney yanked up on Heather's arm once more before letting her go, shoving her into the mud. She jumped out of the ring where DJ and Owen hoisted her up on their shoulders and paraded her around.

Chris yelled though his megaphone for the last time. "And Courtney takes the win! Now we can call her the Mud Wrestling Princess!"

Though she was covered in mud, she received hugs from Gwen, Bridgette and Leshawna. Lindsay shook her hand, then wiped the mud on Owen's shirt. "That was so great, Courtney! You fight like better than the guys do!"

The group erupted in laughter as they took Courtney to the lake so she could get cleaned up. Heather, Harold and Duncan stayed behind.

Duncan smirked at both of them. "It's over guys. You've been humiliated. And pretty soon, everyone's going to know about your little schemes. It's falling apart."

Heather spat out another mouthful of blood. "But Courtney can't stand you, which is why you aren't down there with her. You'll never get her back. Harold's plan worked perfectly."

Harold glared at Heather, but looked around noticing there were no cameras. They were all focused on Courtney's win. Harold laughed, "And you'll never be able to prove a thing, Duncan. I've won."

Duncan turned and walked toward the cabins. "For now." _So it's true. I've been being set up all along. But I'm not about to give up. _He went into his cabin to prepare his own plan for later that evening.


	14. The Backfire

**Slight language. And sorry for the short chapter, but it was necessary. You'll see . ENJOY **

* * *

After everyone had congratulated Courtney on her victory over Heather and voiced their jealousy over her winning a trip to the Bahamas, she returned to her cabin to rest. She hadn't really paid attention to it at the time, but Heather put her through the wringer. Her back was in so much pain she could hardly move. Everyone had left the cabin, opting to go swimming on this hot summer day, leaving Courtney and Bridgette alone.

"You know what I don't understand, Bridge? Why did Duncan help me? What happened between him and Heather that he helped me win?" The questions she had during the match were now flooding her mind.

"I'm not really sure, Court. He's definitely sending mixed signals. From what I heard, when we were down at the docks during his match with Heather, he told her he cared about her, but he was acting really weird. He looked like he really wanted to hurt her. I guess it was pretty scary. Geoff doesn't think so, but I think he's changed, and not for the better."

Courtney winced as she turned over onto her side to face Bridgette. She'd been lying on her stomach, trying to ease the pressure on her bruised muscles. "He called me 'princess' though. That was like, his pet name for me. I thought maybe he was trying to throw me off to help Heather win, but then he turned around and kept me from falling out of the ring. I'm really confused."

Bridgette rubbed her best friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, Court. We're doing our best to try to put everything together. You just rest here for a while. We're supposed to be having another bonfire tonight down by the lake. Rumor has it that Trent's going to play for us and I guess he's gotten pretty good. I'll go get you some pain killers and some dinner." She got up from the bed and left Courtney to her thoughts.

Chris met up with Bridgette as she left the cabin. He looked concerned, which wasn't like him at all. "Hey Bridge, is she alright? I was watching the footage of that match with Heather and Courtney took a beating."

Bridgette kept walking toward the mess hall. Chris joined her, waiting for a response. "Yeah, she's ok. She's very sore and very confused. Did I miss something with Duncan and Heather?"

Chris shook his head. "Ya got me, sister. After everything I've seen, I'm as confused as you are. Seems like Heather and Duncan have some weird relationship going on, but Duncan really doesn't give a damn about her. Like he's just using her, ya know? Losing Courtney seems to be having a rough effect on the guy. Oops! Did I say that? See ya later!" Chris left, chuckling to himself.

Bridgette tried to make sense of what Chris had just said. "Hey wait! Chris! What do you know that we don't?"

Chris called back, "I don't know what you're talking about, Bridge. I didn't say anything." Then he disappeared from view.

She scowled. That guy was really irritating sometimes. Though, he did what he could to get more people to watch the show. Was he creating more controversy? Or was he actually trying to help? She wasn't sure, but she'd have some time to figure it out later. She continued onto the mess hall to get food and medicine for Courtney.

* * *

Harold met up with Heather in the medical tent just after the match.

"You're the last person I want to see right now," Heather spat as she glared at the redhead.

"Just shut up. I'm as upset as you are about this whole situation. Leshawna thinks that there's something going on between you and me now, and she won't even talk to me. So, Duncan and Courtney are gonna pay the price for it. Now listen up. I overheard what's going on tonight at the bonfire. You're going to mess it up and put another nail in the coffin for them."

"Please, dweeb. Get over it. Duncan already knows what's going on. It's just a matter of time before your little plot goes kaput."

"You'll do what I say, Heather, because everything you have is because of me. And I can take it all away. Your house, your job, your life. You'll end up back in your hometown with nothing. You know as well as I do that your parents won't take you back. Besides, Duncan might know what's going on, but everyone thinks he's lost his marbles. He'll be easy enough to discredit. And even more important, Courtney is still as naïve as ever and she'll believe what we make her believe." Harold rubbed his hands together.

Heather frowned, but nodded. It would be nice to get back at Courtney after what she did. Heather hoped that she was in just as much pain as she was, if not more. She'd taken a few aspirin, but the pain in her knee was still awful. A quick x-ray had revealed that nothing was broken, but a few tendons had been torn. Her knee would have to be wrapped for a while and she wouldn't get to take part in any of the more physical challenges anytime soon. Sadly, she was stuck here. She signed a contract. But she could do her best to make Courtney miserable for as long as possible while they were still here.

"Okay… so what's going on tonight, and what can I do?" Heather made herself comfortable on the hospital bed as Harold laid his plan out for her.

* * *

That night as the sun fell, Duncan and Trent prepped for their debut. Duncan knew he could do it, but he was still nervous. Tonight wasn't just about showing the world that he and Trent had talent. It was about showing the one girl he wished he'd never lost how he felt about her. They'd tried to keep their performance hush-hush until just before they started, but it turned out everyone already knew. Although, the chances of Harold and Heather messing it up were slim. It was 9:45 pm.

"You ready, bro? I told Chris we'd start at ten." Trent put his hand on Duncan's shoulder. He was surprised to notice him shaking. "Dude, you okay?"

Duncan looked up at him from his seat on a log by the fire. "A little nervous, but, ya know. I'm cool, man. I just feel like this is my last shot. If I can't make her understand tonight, it might not happen. Knowing you might lose the best thing that ever happened to you… think of how you'd feel if you lost Gwen. Then you'll know how I feel right now."

Trent nodded. He understood completely and he wanted nothing more than his friend to be happy. They had quickly written a song to sing that would be more than enough to do the job. Nothing was going to get in the way.

Unfortunately, Heather had showed up with other plans. Duncan and Trent had planned carefully and tried to keep their song secret, but Harold had been within earshot. Heather limped up to the bonfire that had come to a full roar. She looked around, not seeing her target for the evening yet. She looked up toward the cabins where a small group of girls had formed and were making their way toward the lake. Heather smirked. Her plan was going to work after all.

Bridgette and Gwen did their best to help Courtney out to the bonfire. Gwen assured her that it would be worth it for her to watch. "Trent's really nervous about this performance. It's his first one that'll be televised. It'll mean a lot to him that you show up, Courtney."

Courtney was a little skeptical. Trent had never been a close friend of hers, but she liked music nonetheless and was curious to see how he'd do. She'd offer her support, no matter how insignificant she felt it was. Her back was feeling better, but she moved slowly so she wouldn't jerk something the wrong way and hurt herself further.

Trent looked at his watch. They had five minutes. The camera crews were done setting up and Chris had arrived with his Chris-cam to get some candid shots of everyone's reactions to the performance. Everyone on the island had made it to the bonfire by now, except for Harold who decided to keep his distance. He stayed in the tree line, slightly interested to see Trent and Duncan perform, but more interested in seeing his plan take place.

Heather waited until everyone got settled, then slowly made her way to stand behind Courtney. She stood far enough away so she wouldn't be noticed, but close enough to put her plan into play.

Chris stepped in front of the camera at ten o'clock. Behind him, Duncan and Trent sat face to face, their guitars strapped on and ready to play. Trent raised an eyebrow at Duncan since he was sweating and still shaking slightly. Duncan had looked up briefly and once he noticed that Courtney was there and visible, he let out a deep breath. He looked at Trent, giving him a thumbs up and a wink. Trent nodded. They were ready.

Chris gave an unnecessary introduction, but it was tolerated. "So we have a couple of really talented guys with us tonight. Er.. well, every night, but tonight they're actually going to play for us. Should be good. So Trent, Duncan, take it away!"

Courtney grabbed Bridgette's arm. "Wait a minute… Duncan's gonna perform too?"

Bridgette smiled and was about to reply, but Trent counted quietly and began to play a slow rock song. Duncan joined in soon after.

Courtney gasped and squeezed Bridgette's arm tighter. Within seconds she could tell this was bound to be amazing. They spent some time showing off their guitar playing skills before they got into singing.

Duncan kept his head down, focusing on the strings of his guitar as Trent opened with the first verse. A typical song about the one who'd gotten away. He'd definitely improved since the last time they were on the island and he played during the talent show. Duncan sang under him during the chorus, so no one could be certain, but it seemed like he was equally as good as Trent.

A few of the girls swooned a bit, feeling very mushy as Trent seemed to sing a few of the heartfelt lines to Gwen. Katie and Sadie began to squeal, jumping up and down as though they were actually at a concert.

The two men played an extended set in between verses. Duncan seemed to tense up a bit as they finished. He and Trent started the second verse together, but Trent stopped singing after the first line, leaving Duncan's voice alone. _"This is more than I can take, now it's make or break, when I say how much I love you."_

Courtney's eyes widened. He was amazing! She had no idea that he could play a guitar, but she never expected someone like him to sing. Apparently he had changed a lot. She watched him, mesmerized as he sang one of her favorite songs.

Duncan continued to sing, knowing it was now or never. He looked up at that moment, catching Courtney's gaze. Their eyes locked as he sang the next words specifically to her. "_We've spent too much time away and now this time I want you to stay._" He narrowed his eyes and nodded slightly to her, hoping she'd get the message. "_All these__ broken signs are breaking us in two_."

Heather had seized her perfect moment. She slowly crept up behind Courtney and whispered to her as Duncan sang through his part of the chorus, still keeping his eyes locked with Courtney's. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you thought he was singing this song to you." Courtney turned to look at her, the color disappearing from her face. "I've been standing here all this time, watching him sing to me, and noticed you getting weak in the knees. Too bad really."

Courtney turned to see Duncan shaking his head as he sung the words, "_You're the only one that can start this love anew__._" She turned back to Heather, who was blowing a kiss to Duncan, then she turned and ran off toward the cabins before she realized what she was doing.

Bridgette had been studying Duncan's expression the whole time. She hadn't noticed that Courtney had left her side. She was grinning ear to ear, finally realizing that Duncan was trying to get a message to her. She turned to see Heather standing next to her instead. She glared at the brunette. "You've gone too far this time, Heather."

Bridgette turned back one last time to the performance to see Trent narrow his eyes at Duncan, who had turned to him, looking defeated though he pressed on through the song. She could have been mistaken, but it looked as though Trent was sending Duncan a message of his own when he noticed that Courtney had left. He gave Duncan a warning look as he ad-libbed some new lyrics into their song . "_Please don't let her get away this time, no, not this time__!_" They finished the song to a huge burst of cheers and applause, even from Chris who had more than noticed something was up. He'd caught the whole thing on tape.

Duncan had finished the song, but he felt awful despite the fact that everyone loved the performance. He'd wanted to drop the whole thing once he saw Courtney leave, but he didn't want to disappoint Trent. This opportunity meant a lot to both of them. He looked up, trying to figure out where Courtney had gone. He noticed Harold in the tree line and that Heather was now talking to him. _Damn them… they did it again! _He thought bitterly. Geoff and Trent had kneeled down beside Duncan. They looked concerned.

"Bridge went after Courtney, dude. I figured out what happened. That was low." Geoff said quietly.

Trent nodded, "Yeah. Heather and Harold have really gone off the deep end. You gonna try to go after Courtney? Before Heather messed with her head, she looked like she got your message. It was pretty intense. Better than what I'd planned."

"No… I'm not going to go after her." Duncan glared over the crowd at the two schemers. Geoff and Trent tried to protest, but Duncan raised his hand to silence them. "I got a better idea. I'm going to solve the problem at the source, and go from there." He inclined his head toward Heather and Harold, and nodded to his friends. "You guys in? I got a plan."

Trent and Geoff turned to each other and grinned. Finally they'd get a chance to get in on the revenge.

**Ok, I did an evil thing leaving you with a cliffhanger :) but that's what writers have to do. I don't want to make promises that I can't keep, so I'll just say I'll update ASAP. Keep up the reviews! They keep me going. **

**(****I have to personally thank rohirrim8 for their review. I have to say it's one the best, most inspiring ones I've gotten so far. So, thank you!) J.S.**


	15. Courtney's Confession

**Slight language. Enjoy and review!**

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Bridgette sprinted after her best friend. After she consoled her and tried to get her to understand what had really happened, she was going to find Heather and punch her square in the face. How anyone could be so determined to keep two people apart was beyond her, but thankfully everyone was starting to notice. Even Chris had lent a hand when he discreetly directed Bridgette the way Courtney had run off.

She followed the footprints through the sand, but lost them once she got into the woods. Bridgette looked around in a panic, worried what would happen if she didn't find Courtney soon. She didn't have to go far before she heard muffled sobs from a small clearing just off the wooded path.

Courtney sat huddled on the ground, hugging her legs to her chest, crying into her knees. Bridgette felt awful. She'd never seen Courtney so upset before. Usually she was so strong, but now she was falling apart. The blond dropped to her knees next to her best friend, putting her arms around the former CIT's shaking shoulders.

Courtney looked up, her dark eyes rimmed in red, her cheeks streaked with tears. She sniffled and choked out between sobs, "Why... would... he... do this?" She flung her arms around Bridgette's neck, nearly knocking her down as a new wave of tears washed over her.

Bridgette patted Courtney's back, trying vainly to calm her down even in the slightest. After a few moments, she pulled Courtney away from her, gripping her by the shoulders. "Listen. I think you've got the wrong idea about what happened tonight."

Courtney's tears ebbed for a moment and she glared at Bridgette, not believing the words that had just left her mouth. "The 'wrong' idea? How could you even _say_ something like that, Bridgette!?" Her voice grew louder and higher pitched. All Bridgette had succeeded in doing was making her angry. Leave it to her to say the wrong thing. "It's pretty obvious isn't it? Duncan wants nothing to do with me anymore and he's rubbing it in my face that he's happy with someone else!"

Bridgette climbed to her feet with a sigh. If she was going to reason with Courtney, it wasn't going to be simple. She tried to get a word in, but Courtney quickly cut her off. It was soon apparent that she was trying to deny what was truly going on. Bridgette rolled her eyes slightly, thinking to herself how typical that was of the caramel skinned woman.

"And it's not just _someone_, it's _Heather_ of all people! What kind of a ballsy jerk hooks up with his ex girlfriend's worst enemy if he's not trying to rip her heart out?" Courtney stomped around the clearing, her fists clenched tightly. "Not only that, but what kind of completely uncommitted idiot cheats on his wife on national TV?"

Bridgette had to chuckle at that. It was funny and ironic, not to mention a bit sad, that as quickly as some rumors got around, the truth didn't always travel so fast. "He's not married Court."

Courtney was about to continue with her tirade, but stopped and graced Bridgette with a dumbfounded look. "Huh?"

Bridgette started her explanation once she was satisfied she wasn't going to be interrupted again. "Since you and Duncan haven't spoken at all since you've been here, I'm not surprised you didn't know. Here's the thing though: Duncan _was _married. Just for a few months from what I understand. It didn't work out though."

Courtney shook her head, clearly confused. "How do you know?"

Bridgette shrugged and leaned against a tree. "Rumors and guesswork. He's not wearing his ring and he doesn't talk at all about his wife. And you're right, he doesn't act how a married man should act."

Courtney remained silent for a few moments, but just as quickly she became angered, she covered her face with her hands and resumed sobbing heavily. Bridgette quickly came to her side again, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Court... what's wrong?" The blond surfer was not only concerned, but very confused.

Courtney thrust her hands down at her sides and raised her face to the tree tops. "I _hate _the way I feel about them, Bridge!"

"About who?"

Courtney looked at her friend as though the answer should be obvious. "Duncan and Rhett."

Bridgette couldn't help but to laugh and crack and twisted joke. "So you want to try dating girls instead?"

Courtney rolled her eyes, not able to contain a smirk. Though many times Bridgette said the wrong thing, most times she said just what she needed to hear to make her laugh. "No! I…" She looked down to her feet, a few stray tears falling off the tip of her nose.

Bridgette looked at her friend expectantly, knowing Courtney had finally accepted how she really felt and was about to voice it.

Her voice was barely above a whisper when she finally spoke. "I still love him, Bridge. I've always loved Duncan. That's why it's been so hard for me to see him showing affection to someone else. I… I guess I'm jealous."

Bridgette nodded, opting to stay silent. She didn't want Courtney to burst into anger if she said something like: 'W_ell duh, I've known that all along.' _But there was something she needed to bring to her friend's attention, no matter what the reaction was. "So, what are you going to do about Rhett?"

Courtney looked sadly at her engagement ring. "It doesn't matter whether Duncan and I end up back together or not. After deciding how I really feel, it would be awful of me to go home and try to make a life with someone I don't really love. It may seem harsh, but I know what I have to do." She took the ring from her finger and gripped it tightly in her hand. After a deep breath and a nod of encouragement from Bridgette, Courtney set off toward the camp grounds.

* * *

**Confession Cam:**

Courtney: "Okay." She wiped a few remaining tears from her face. "This is really hard for me, but it's the only way I know how to send this message so you'll get it from me first. Rhett… I'm really sorry. When I come home, it won't be as your fiancée. It would be wrong of me to marry someone who I don't really love."

A few more tears began to trickle down her cheeks, but she tried to keep her voice steady as she continued. "As stupid as I feel for admitting it, I'm still in love with Duncan, so as long as that's the case, I can't be with anyone else. It just wouldn't be fair."

She held her engagement ring up so the camera would catch it. "I'll make sure this gets back to you safely, Rhett. I know an apology doesn't mean much right now. But I know that it would have been much worse if we had gotten married and I realized afterward what a mistake it was. I want you to be happy, but I can't be the one to give you that happiness." Courtney wiped the last of her tears and left.

* * *

As she left the confessional, she heard something crunch under her foot. She looked down to see a plain piece of folded paper that had been shoved half way under the door. It had a large C printed on the top. Curious, though skeptical she picked it up and flipped it open.

_If you want proof of how he feels, __come to the boys' cabin. C.M._

Courtney read it over a few times, then crumpled the paper, grinning. "Okay _Chris_. Let's see what this is all about." She never knew Chris to get involved, so needless to say, she was skeptical that the note was actually from him. She smelled trouble, a common scent on this island. Courtney shoved the crumpled note into her back jeans pocket and marched off in the direction of the cabins.

Chris whistled, leaning against the side of the cabin, earpieces for an MP3 player stuck in his ears. His camcorder lay on the stairs beside him. He tapped his foot as he whistled out of tune to the song he was listening to. He'd left the note for Courtney just after he noticed her heading into the outhouse that held the confession cam. It was apparent to him that no one was going to figure out everything that was going on without his help, and as much as he disliked getting involved, the whole Duncan/Courtney drama tugged at his heart strings. Their first separation ten years ago after Harold rigged the votes was pretty tragic. For them not to at least get the chance to work things out would just be cruel. So he decided to give Courtney a little shove in the right direction. She was a creature of logic and by-the-bookness, so what better way to sway her than to show her undeniable proof. As much as the girl loved to deny things, this would prove a bit more difficult. Only problem? Would she take the bait?

He didn't have too long to wait before she noticed Courtney step out from the tree line and look around suspiciously. He wasn't too concerned about someone else catching him. The cabin area was deserted. Most of the other campers were still down by the lake. Leshawna, Trent, Duncan and Geoff had left together and gone into the woods some time ago. He knew they were up to something and he'd find out what that something was after his good deed for the night was complete. Once he knew Courtney had seen him, he went back to tapping his foot, pretending not to notice her.

Courtney approached cautiously, not sure what to expect. She saw Chris, which she hadn't expected, but didn't see anyone else. Something weird was going on, she was sure of it, but the fact that she didn't see Heather or Harold anywhere nearby was a good sign. Against her better judgment, she decided to play along. She put her hands behind her back and smirked as she approached the smug host.

"Alright Chris, what gives? This a new challenge?"

Chris opened his eye and grinned at her. "You could say that. Though, it's a challenge just for you. Kind of a puzzle. I'll give you the three clues, then leave you to your own devices. Up for it?"

Courtney crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine, I'll bite."

"Awesome! Okay, here's the challenge. I'll only explain it once, then I'm outta here. Look at the camera. Don't touch it, just look at it. Then look up. That's your first clue. Only after you get the first clue can you touch the camera. All I want you to do is hit play. That's your second clue." He unhooked his MP3 player and handed it to her. Courtney raised an eyebrow at him. He frowned. He sounded annoyed as he stated simply, "It's your third clue. Later!" Chris walked around the back of the cabin and out of sight, leaving Courtney behind, shaking her head. Of course, he only went so far. He had to stay and watch his handiwork.

Courtney stepped forward, shoving the MP3 player into her pocket and putting the ear buds around her neck. She looked at the camera as she was directed, then looked upward. It was difficult to see much since it was almost midnight, though someone, probably Chris, had left a small fire in the fire pit between the cabins. It was a beautiful starry night, but she didn't notice anything that gave her any clue as to proof of how Duncan felt. _Okay Chris, what kind of crap are you pulling?_She turned to lean against the side of the steps thinking that perhaps a different point of view would offer her better insight. As she turned though, something caught her eye. The light of the fire flickered slightly off an imperfection in the railing of the porch of the cabin. She turned, tilting her head to get a better look. "D.N.C.? What the heck does that mean? What kind of freakin clue is this?" She growled, becoming angry. "Chris! You're impossible!"

After calming down and realizing that Chris really wasn't laughing at her just out of sight (so she thought), she noticed that the camera had been set directly under that carving. _The camera!_ It contained her second clue. She opened the screen on the side of the camera and pressed the play button. The screen flickered to life and she saw Duncan come into view. It seemed to have been filmed from a point just off to her right, maybe from the bushes? On the screen, Duncan walked up the stairs to the cabin, though she couldn't see what he was up to. After a few seconds, she noticed his hand touching the railing. He peeked around the side of the cabin, then hopped down to the place she was standing at the moment. He seemed to study the mark for a few seconds before saying '_I really miss you, Princess_.'

Courtney froze. Her hands began to tremble and she fumbled to find the rewind button. Did she really just hear what she thought she heard? She had to know. Three times she hit rewind and played back Duncan's barely audible phrase. Courtney felt tears welling up in her eyes once more as she let the video continue. She saw Duncan get up, his attention caught by something in the direction of the lake. He left the scene and seconds later she heard Chris' voice come over the camera's microphone. _"Ahaha! I knew it! He still loves her. And I got the proof!" _Chris, who was holding the camera, apparently stood up and Courtney heard him whistling through the microphone.

The scene then changed. If Chris was still holding the camera, he was standing well back in the tree line behind the cove that was supposed to be off limits to cameras. Duncan sat on a log there, his guitar in hand. Hunched down behind a tree closer to the cove was a thin, blond figure she recognized to be Bridgette. She was spying on Duncan too? Why hadn't she been told about this incident?

Before she could think much on it, she heard Duncan begin to play his guitar on camera. She noticed Bridgette's hand go up to her face, though she couldn't make out her expression. Then the camera man zoomed in on Duncan as he played the guitar and began to sing. She watched the rest of the scene play out, tears now sliding down her face as she listened intently to the words he was singing. Bridgette was right. All this time she thought that Duncan didn't care about her anymore, but he had been thinking about her just as much as she'd thought about him. He had tried to hard to get her to understand how many misunderstandings had come between them, but she ignored the signs. She felt like a fool. As the video came to an end with a scream from Bridgette as Chris startled her, followed by Duncan running off, she hit stop and closed the screen. Courtney put the ear buds in her ears and hit play on Chris' MP3 player. Chris had looped Duncan's singing. It was beautiful. She fell to her knees beside the steps of the boys' cabin. She needed to find Duncan before it was too late to fix everything that had gone wrong.

As Courtney prepared to pick herself up and search for her true love, she noticed Heather heading back to the girls' cabin. Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes narrowed. Never again would Heather come in between her and Duncan. She'd make sure of it this time.

After Heather disappeared behind the cabin door, Courtney, who had gone unnoticed in the weak light of the fire, jumped to her feet and made her way to the cabin after her.

* * *

**Yep, another cliffhanger. I'm sorry :) really, I am. I won't leave you hanging for long though! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	16. Revenge

_Last Time on Total Drama Reunion_…

"No… I'm not going to go after her." Duncan glared over the crowd at the two schemers. Geoff and Trent tried to protest, but Duncan raised his hand to silence them. "I got a better idea. I'm going to solve the problem at the source, and go from there." He inclined his head toward Heather and Harold, and nodded to his friends. "You guys in? I got a plan."

Trent and Geoff turned to each other and grinned. Finally they'd get a chance to get in on the revenge.

* * *

Duncan looked around for a few moments before he spotted the fourth person he wanted in on his plan. Leshawna was talking animatedly with Gwen, spouting off about how great the guys' performance had been. They were just starting to discuss how worried they were since they'd noticed Courtney run off a few minutes beforehand with Bridgette right on her heels. Duncan waved to Leshawna to get her attention, and then motioned her over.

Leshawna was more than eager to sit with them and she started to congratulate Trent and Duncan, but Duncan cut her off. "Leshawna, Trent and I are really grateful that you liked the song and all, but the behind the scenes stuff is a little more important right now." He continued when Leshawna frowned and looked like she had no idea what he was talking about. "A little bird told me that you think there's something going on between Harold and Heather." Duncan flinched a bit since Leshawna looked as though she was about to smack him. Apparently, he'd hit a nerve.

"Oh, no, honey. I _know_ there's something going on there. I'm just not exactly sure what. Whatever it is, I don't like it. Smells as bad as Geoff did after gettin' heaved into that pile of smelly socks back ten years ago!"

Everyone laughed, even Geoff, but after a few seconds, he got a bit offended. "Heeeey!"

Duncan cupped his hand over Geoff's mouth before he could protest further. "So listen. We know something's going on too, but like you, we aren't sure what. I have a plan to get Harold to confess everything, but we need your help."

Leshawna raised an eyebrow at the black haired man. "What kinda help, Duncan? You want me to beat it out of him? I'd be happy to."

Duncan chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, we don't want you getting into any kind of violent situation. Leave that to me and the guys." He thumbed toward Geoff and Trent. "All we want you to do is lead him to us. We'll take care of the rest."

Leshawna nodded. "Alright, I'm in, sugar. You sure you'll be able to get him to confess what he's been up to?"

A dark grin graced Duncan's features. "If he doesn't, he'll regret it."

"So what's the plan, dude?" Geoff asked as he pulled Duncan's hand away from his face.

"You guys gotta come with me first; we'll have a little set up to do. Shouldn't take too long. Then Leshawna will lure Harold into our trap. I'll explain on the way."

Duncan got up and walked off along the beach to one of their old challenge sites. It was far enough out of sight that no one would notice what they were up to. He glanced back toward Heather and Harold. They were still talking… perhaps arguing… he couldn't tell from where he was, but they weren't paying attention to anyone.

Once they made it to the site, Duncan was pleased with what he saw: A large pit with a makeshift trapeze above it. The pit was only half full of murky water, but that didn't matter much. He rubbed his hands together and smirked. "Okay guys. Here's what I need. We'll have to work fast. Leshawna, you and Geoff go get some buckets and fill this pit the rest of the way with water. I'll need a long rope to tie off that trapeze thingy." He indicated the middle of the bar that went across the pit. When he was satisfied that the two knew their jobs and set off to do them, he put his arm around Trent's shoulder and sighed. "You're my bro, right Trent?"

Trent shrugged. "Well yeah." He narrowed his eyes at Duncan. "I don't like the sound of this."

"Nah, you don't. But I'll be right there with you. Let's go find us some good heavy gloves. Then, we go hunting." He patted Trent on the back and headed off to Chef's shed to find supplies.

* * *

After Courtney had run off, Heather was feeling rather pleased with herself. She'd started heading back to the cabin since her plan had worked, yet again, but there were bound to be people hurling questions at her if she stuck around.

Harold was standing just off the path back to the cabins. He'd been watching the show, but he was happy to see that their plan to mess things up for Courtney and Duncan went over flawlessly. He noticed Heather limping up toward the path.

"Nice going, Heather. Need some help getting back to the cabins?" He was trying to be civil with her at least. In a way, he felt like it was his fault that Heather had been injured so badly during her fight with Courtney. Not that he knew that Courtney would end up winning her matches, but if not for all the hostility between the two women, it probably wouldn't have been so brutal. All that hostility was created by him in the first place. He chuckled to himself. Harold was so proud of himself for having so much control over the situation. That pride overshadowed the fact that he was ruining people's lives.

Heather stopped. She studied his expression for a moment, trying to judge whether he was being sincere or not. She heard cheering from back at the bonfire. Trent and Duncan had finished to a standing ovation. She felt like she didn't have much time before he'd come to ask what she'd done to Courtney to make her run off the way she did. Things were starting to fall apart- _quickly_. "No thanks, Harold. I just want to get back to my cabin so I can rest for a while."

Harold shrugged. "Alright, so when can we discuss what we're going to do next? I've got some good ideas."

Heather had finally had enough. "Okay, look. I'm tired of being your pawn. Thanks to your plans, I almost got my ankle broken! After today, Courtney's probably going to want to strangle me to death, so no thanks. I'm done with your plotting. You're flying solo from now on."

Harold glared at her. "Crossing me would be a very bad idea, Heather. Do you remember what I said? I could take everything away from you," he snapped his fingers to accentuate his threat, "like that!"

The two began a heated argument as Chris slipped off out of sight just after seeing Duncan and his three companions head off in the opposite direction. He left one of his camera men in the vicinity to keep up on where the arguing between Heather and Harold ended, but he felt compelled to find Courtney and give her a helping hand. He'd catch up on everything else later.

After about twenty or so minutes of screaming at each other about who owned who and who would do whose bidding, Heather ended their argument with a simple punch to Harold's midsection. She limped off, leaving Harold lying on the ground, curled in a tight ball.

Heather made it back to the eerily quiet cabin area. She struggled to make her way up to the door and went inside. Thankfully, her bunk was on the bottom. She lit a scented candle next to her bed and lay down, closing her eyes. No one else had come back yet, so she had the whole cabin to herself. She was just about to fall asleep when she heard the door of the cabin slam open. By the sound of things, Harold had followed her and now he was pretty upset that she'd hit him, but hey, he deserved it. She didn't open her eyes. He hadn't walked past the door yet.

"If you've come to take your revenge on me, you can try. But you won't get very far. I beat you down once, I can do it again." Heather smirked as she made herself more comfortable on her bunk.

"Oh you are so wrong, Heather." It wasn't Harold's voice.

Heather sat upright so fast on her bunk that she smacked her head into the one above her. As she rubbed her forehead, she looked toward the door. Rather than the skinny red head she expected to see, it was Courtney who stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips, her expression murderous. She held a decent length of rope in one of her left hand; Heather could see it dangling by her side. Her eyes went wide. _Courtney's lost it! She's going to kill me! _Heather's mind went into a panic. She got out of her bunk, but Courtney was standing in the doorway, blocking her path.

Courtney took a few steps toward Heather. "I've had enough of these games, Heather. You've ruined my life for far too long and it ends here. You won't be leaving this cabin tonight." She clenched the rope between both her hands and snapped it taught in front of her.

Heather found her voice after a few terrifying seconds. "Uhhhh, someone! Anyone!! Camera man!! Courtney's gone insane!" She tried to run, but Courtney, who was the less injured of the two, grabbed her by the arm and yanked her around to face her.

"We're all alone, Heather. No one's going to hear you scream. I'm finally getting what I want."

Heather was actually scared. She was trembling. "What is it that you want, Courtney? I'll do anything, just don't hurt me!"

"_I want you out of the way_." Courtney whispered dangerously.

Heather's eyes went wide with fright once more before she felt a sharp pain on the side of her head, and then saw black.

* * *

Harold wasn't sure how long he'd lain out on the sand, clutching his stomach. He cursed himself for not taking any kind of strength training over the years. All he knew was that he'd spent a lot of time laying there, thinking of a way to get back at Heather. Now he had a new enemy to contend with. A few of the other contestants had come up to him once in a while to see if he was alright, but he had stayed balled up, not quite ready to talk to anyone or explain what had happened to him.

He only snapped out of his reverie when Gwen approached him. It wasn't that he had any particular fondness toward the Goth-chick, but when she knelt beside him, she stated that she had a note for him from Leshawna. His love! Was she going to forgive him? He had to know. He sat up and snatched the note from Gwen, waving a dismissive hand at her. She shrugged and walked off.

_Harold, _

_Meet me on the beach north of the Dock of Shame when you get this. I'll be waiting. I think we have a lot to talk about._

_Leshawna_

He inhaled the scent of the paper, but was disappointed that it didn't smell like her perfume. He sighed. She was still probably angry with him. He'd just explain that Heather had been using him in a plot against Courtney and that would be that. Leshawna had no real idea of what had been going on.

He stood up and looked down toward the bonfire party that was still going on. He took a brief headcount and noticed that Courtney and Duncan were not there. A few of the others were missing as well. That could be bad news. Leshawna was a little more important at the moment though. Now that Heather had sealed her fate, he'd need Leshawna as an ally. Not to mention that he liked her.

He started walking off in the direction of the north beach that Leshawna had indicated in her note. He wasn't sure what she was doing at that particular place, but no matter. He'd win her over no matter where they were.

* * *

Duncan looked down at his reflection in the water. He was standing over the trapeze pit, smirking. He stood up, stretched and inhaled deeply. "I think I smell a change in the wind, my friends." He turned to Geoff.

Geoff looked around nervously. "It wasn't me, dude. I'd at least say excuse me."

Trent slapped his hand against his forehead and shook his head slowly. Leshawna rolled her eyes. "Party boy, you nasty…"

Duncan was quick to shush them before they got into any kind of verbal dispute. He listened for a moment, then waved everyone toward the tree line. Leshawna sat down in the sand at a previously decided location and waited. Duncan, Geoff and Trent watched intently from some low bushes nearby. The trap was set…

A few moments later saw Harold emerge from the direction of the docks, looking pitiful. He approached Leshawna, who looked at him skeptically.

"I've decided to give you another chance, Harold. I guess I was a little hasty thinkin' that you and Heather had somethin' goin' on."

Harold smiled and stepped forward to hug her. Leshawna rushed forward with a smile of her own, grabbed him into a bone crushing hug that pushed him back about two paces, then dipped him backward into a large, wet kiss.

Duncan watched, amused, then whispered, "That's our cue boys."

The three men tiptoed quietly out of the tree line and picked up a large rock with a rope wrapped around it. They heaved the rock into the water with a huge splash. Harold had opened his eyes in one startled second, but in the second later was hanging upside down by his ankle over a pit of water.

They all laughed, even Leshawna looked amused, but Duncan regained his composure. "Okay, Harold. You gonna spill your guts about what's been going on lately? Or are things going to get ugly?"

Harold rolled his eyes. If they were planning on dunking him into the water, they'd messed up their plans. The only rope he was attached to was well out of reach. "I don't know what you're talking about, idiot. Now let me down."

"Oh I think you do, Harold. And my guess is that you only have about three minutes before the lies eat you alive."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harold was getting annoyed. He didn't see any point to this, but he was pretty upset that Leshawna had been in on it too.

Duncan grinned. "I thought you might ask that!" He shouted cheerfully. He picked up a large ham, still on the bone. "Let me demonstrate!" He put the ham in the water, making sure to keep his hand out of reach. A split second later, he pulled the bone from the water. It was picked clean. Harold nearly wet himself. "In the pit below you are about two dozen piranha. My guess is that they're chewing through that rope… we kinda soaked it in some meat broth… and you'll be falling in pretty soon after. If you give us the answers we're looking for, I'll be nice and let you down safely."

Harold was white with fear. Getting hit by Heather was bad enough. Getting chewed up by cannibalistic fish really wasn't his idea of a better alternative. He looked around quickly, but didn't see any camera men lurking about. He'd get out of this now and get back to scheming later.

"Fine! So I set you up a little bit, Duncan. Is that what you want to hear?" He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to be brave in spite of the wet mark on his pants. He eyed the rope that suspended him over the water. The vibrations he felt in the rope now were the telltale sign that the fish were most certainly interested in the broth. _Oh no..._

"Yeah, that's part of it. Keep going." Duncan rested his hand on another rope that held one of the trapeze swings just out of Harold's reach. Once he'd gotten a decent confession, he'd let Harold off.

Harold growled. "And Heather was in on it the whole time!" The rope started to give way. Harold yelped and shouted so fast that it was just barely discernible, "And I paid a bunch of people off to intercept your mail and make up a bunch of rumors to spread and I paid Heather to do all my dirty work so I could cover everything up and still keep you away from Courtney so you'd be miserable after all the stuff you did to me ten years ago now let me down before I fall and get eaten alive!!"

Trent, Geoff, Duncan and Leshawna all stood looking dumbfounded. Trent tilted his head and looked at Duncan, who was still shocked to have heard the extent to which Harold had gone to ruin his life.

"Did you get that, bro?" Trent said and chuckled a bit.

"I did!" Chris nearly skipped out of the bushes nearby with his camcorder in hand. He'd picked it up before leaving the camp grounds when he was satisfied that Courtney completed her 'challenge.' He had wanted to stick around to see what kind of confrontation Heather and Courtney would get into, but luckily there were cameras in the rooms. His curiosity got the better of him and he had to know what Duncan and company were up to. It was perfect timing on his part. He'd made it out to the beach just in time to tape a good portion of the set up and the execution of the trap, and most importantly, the confession. "Harold… you and Heather were very naughty. But since this is a family show, I won't let you sleep with the fishes. Duncan, let him down."

Duncan smirked, letting go of the rope. The trapeze swing swung down and smacked Harold in the side of the head. The red head reached for it, but as soon as his fingers touched the bar, the rope that held his ankle snapped. Everyone gasped as he plunged headfirst into the water below and came back up just as quickly. In a move that defied physics, Harold raced across the water and out onto the beach, screaming and slapping at a piranha that had decided that his butt looked like a tasty meal.

Chris laughed, watching the action through his camera. "Walk it off, buddy!" He then swung the camera around and trained it on Duncan. "Hey, I think Courtney's lookin' for ya." He grinned widely as he caught Duncan's startled reaction.

Duncan turned back in the direction of the docks and broke into a dead run. He barely heard Chris shout from behind, "I think she's at the cabins, man! Good luck!"

As Duncan ran out of sight, Chris turned the camera on himself. "And I think that I should follow. Could be some good stuff." He ran off into the woods, taking a short cut toward the camp.


	17. Reunion

**Slight language.**

* * *

Duncan bolted to the cabins. He felt like he had wings. Nothing was going to stop him from getting Courtney back into his life. Not this time.

When he reached the camp, he skidded to a halt. There was a dying fire in the pit between the cabins, but the cabins themselves were dark. The door of the girls' cabin creaked back and forth in the gentle breeze. It was open. That was a bit odd. Raccoon maybe? He figured he'd check anyway. If Courtney was in there, she was probably asleep.

A sense of dread crept up Duncan's back as he walked up the steps to the cabin door. He pulled a lighter from his back pocket and flipped it on as he slowly pushed the door inward. "Hello?" He whispered, not wanting to wake anyone up that might be asleep. His eyes searched each empty bunk in turn before stopping by the far window. He wasn't quite certain, but it looked like someone was sleeping in a chair under that window.

He reached for a lantern on a nearby nightstand and lit it with his lighter. When he looked back to the window, he jumped back, the lantern nearly slipping from his grasp. There was Heather, tied to the chair with rope, a sock stuffed in her mouth. The way she was slumped over, she looked… _Oh no, this is bad…_Duncan thought, beginning to panic. He darted across the room and pushed Heather upward in the chair. "Heather! _Heather!_" Duncan shook her.

Heather opened her eyes and once she realized she was bound and gagged, she began to struggle.

Duncan let out the breath he had been holding. That would have looked bad for him had someone walked in. For a wild moment he really thought Heather had been murdered. "Hold still, geez. Scared the crap out of me." He pulled the sock out of Heather's mouth.

"Your girlfriend is certifiably insane, Duncan! She came in here with that rope and I swear she was ready to kill me! She probably would have if you hadn't shown up when you did! Is she gone?" She groaned. "Ugh, what did she do to me?"

"Chill out, Heather." Duncan had to chuckle at the situation now. _So this was Courtney's handiwork hm?_ Oh this was perfect. He had to use this to his advantage, just a little bit. "Courtney's gone. I guess she just knocked you out and tied you to this chair. That girl doesn't have a murderous bone in her body, no matter how mad you made her." He stood up and grinned evilly down at the bound brunette. "Now, I on the other hand…" He reached behind him and pulled out his famous hand hook, making Heather shriek in terror. It was one of the greatest moments of his life. He laughed so hard he fell into a nearby nightstand, knocking an MP3 player to the floor. He wiped his eyes as his laughter subsided and picked up the player, realizing it turned on when it fell. He put one of the ear buds to his ear, his curiosity piqued.

His song. It was all he needed to hear. He dropped the MP3 player on a nearby bed and headed for the door. "Gotta go!" He waved at Heather who began to protest.

"Wait a minute! You're just going to leave me tied up like this?" Heather stared at him in complete shock.

"Yeah, toots, sorry. I have an appointment to keep. I'm sure Court had her reasons for leaving you like this. She's a smart girl. Later!" He slammed the door behind him and took off. He had a hunch where he'd find Courtney.

Heather was left in the dark, near tears. She yelled into the silence, "Duncan? Chris? Anyone! Please come untie me! This rope is chafing!" A lonely cricket chirped. "And I have to pee!"

* * *

After she left Heather tied to a chair, satisfied that the fist she gave Heather would keep her knocked out for a while, she headed down to the cove. She wasn't sure why she was heading there when she thought Duncan might still be down at the bonfire, but for some reason, it just felt right.

She was a bit disappointed when she got there since Duncan was no where to be seen. Not that it mattered. Now that she understood at least a little part of what was going on, she had time to get to him and set things right. She walked toward the water's edge, kicked off her sandals and let the gentle rolling waves lap at her feet. Courtney tilted her face to the sky and breathed in the warm night air. Countless stars watched her from the heavens as she began to sing softly into the night, recalling his words.

"_..still have my love... still have that fire..."__  
_

* * *

Duncan stopped at the tree line when he reached the cove and his heart skipped a beat. _She's here!_ He walked up slowly, trying not to startle her. In the very back of his mind, he had a doubt that she was here waiting for him and she'd take off once she saw him watching her. As he got closer, he smiled. She was singing. A little off key, but she was singing the very song that he first sang to her, right here. It seemed that not all forces here were trying to keep them apart.

* * *

Courtney continued to sing. She smiled and closed her eyes, imagining Duncan singing the song with her. _Still have everything that it takes to inspire...__. _She could swear that Duncan's voice was getting stronger and sounding more realistic. At that moment, she felt a warm hand on her arm. She gasped and turned to face… "Duncan!?"

It was as if time froze. For a few moments they just started at each other. Duncan smiled weakly as he figured the best way to break the awkward silence was to finish where she had left off. "_Me to be me...__." _He continued on, having mentally written most of the song. _"Others have come and gone but no one has ever known just how to relight that special flame. I wish I had just one more chance, one more truly special dance, where I could show her how I feel. I'd hold her close and whisper, tell her just how much I've missed her, how she made everything in life so real. Cause she's still my love, she's still my fire, she's still everything that inspires me to be me. You, Courtney, inspire me to be me."_

Tears streamed down Courtney's cheeks as she finally found her voice again. "Duncan... I'm so sorry! I was being so stupid." She threw her arms around Duncan's waist, hugging him tightly.

"Shhh, Princess." Duncan hugged her in return, rocking her back and forth gently as she continued to apologize. He smirked and rolled his eyes, realizing there was only one way to shut her up at the moment. He lifted her chin, silencing her with a deep kiss that froze time once more for both of them.

Courtney felt her knees turn to jelly. She held Duncan tightly as they embraced, hoping with every inch of her being that she wasn't dreaming.

In the next moment she cursed herself for thinking that way since the kiss ended and the next thing she heard was, "Hey, wake up!" She felt someone shaking her. With a disappointed sigh, she opened her eyes to see Duncan's mesmerizing blue ones staring back at her. She hadn't been dreaming! She felt her cheeks blushing.

"First I can't get you to let me get a word in, then you fall asleep on me," he teased, earning him a playful shove. _Just like old times, _he thought happily.

"I'm sorry, Duncan. I just feel so bad about what's been happening. There're so many lies and rumors, I don't know what's real anymore."

"I know, Princess. We've got a lot of time to figure out what happened, but I already know what's real. You and me; that's real. What we had… what we have now, that's all real. More important than trying to weed through the rumors is telling you the facts."

Courtney was pleasantly surprised. Duncan was finally laying it all out on the table, being straight with her, not trying to hide what was a caring interior under his tough shell. "What are the facts then?" She had a feeling she knew most of them, but she wanted to hear what he had to say.

He grabbed her hands, holding them tightly in his. "One is something I think you know, but I've never been able to say it…" Duncan was actually starting to turn a bit red himself. That was new. "I…" He shrugged as if to say 'heck with it, just say it ya pansy!' "I love you, Courtney. I always have and I'm always going to." He kissed her forehead, not waiting for a response. It seemed he was still slightly uncomfortable showing his softer side. "And I'm going to fight for you since you're still," he got a glance at her ring finger, which was now bare, "...not engaged to… that other guy…" His voice trailed off.

Courtney laughed at his sudden speechlessness. "Nope. I called it off."

Duncan looked disappointed and turned away from Courtney. "Hell, that takes all the fun out of it…"

Courtney tilted her head, looking at him inquisitively. He seemed truly upset that he wouldn't have to 'win' her back. He was fumbling with something around his neck at the moment. When he turned back to her, she was about to mention to him that they'd done enough fighting over the past ten years just to get to this point, but he tossed something in her direction.

"Catch!"

She was startled, but caught the small object. She opened up her hand to reveal a quarter sized onyx gem. Courtney thought that maybe it was for a necklace, but she didn't see a place to put a chain through.

"I got that for you ehh, a little bit before we lost contact. I felt like I should hang onto it though. Made me think of you."

Courtney was still confused as to what the trinket meant. "Good luck charm?"

He walked up to her and shook his head. "No, silly, it's a locket. Open it."

She turned the trinket onto its side and studied it. Sure enough there was a little ridge that indicated that the gem was able to be opened. She fumbled with it for a moment and popped the two pieces apart to reveal…

Duncan had dropped to one knee as Courtney opened the gem. "I'm glad you called it off, Princess. Now I can ask you myself."

With a trembling hand, Courtney pulled out a small diamond ring from one half of the locket.

"How about it, Princess? Marry me?" He grinned up at her, his trademark half-smile that was one of the things that made her fall for him in the first place.

Courtney was half laughing, half crying. In spite of the serious moment, she cracked, "If I said no, you'd probably kidnap me and force me into it anyway."

Duncan chuckled, then got up and grabbed Courtney into a hug, lifting her off her feet, spinning her around until they were both dizzy. They collapsed into a heap in the sand, then cuddled close to each other. "So is that a yes?" Duncan rested his chin on Courtney's head as she laid it on his chest.

Courtney slipped the ring on her finger and showed it to him. "Mhmm," she hummed sleepily. Duncan lay back on the sand and they both fell asleep under the stars, content that the cruel, drama filled world they lived in finally gave them something back: Each other.

* * *

From the tree line, Chris sighed happily. He'd gotten every moment on camera. He'd be on his producer's good boy list forever now. Once he realized that Duncan and Courtney had fallen asleep, he turned the Chris-cam on himself. Quietly he said, "Well, my job is done. For now at least. And I'm going to do something completely out of character and allow these two love birds to have some quiet time alone together. I'm sure there'll be enough barf inducing P.D.A.'s in the future to choke an elephant, so I'm outta here. Gniiiight!"

* * *

_**Epilogue**: Some time later…_

Courtney cried out in agony. She'd never felt this much pain in her life.

Duncan squeezed her hand gently from her bedside. His face was white. He was scared for Courtney. Even after her back had been messed up by Heather at the reunion show, she never complained much about her pain, so this must be awful for her. He looked up at Bridgette, who looked equally concerned for her best friend. "Isn't there something they can do for her, Bridge?"

Bridgette shook her head sadly. "This was her choice, remember?" She stepped up to Courtney's side, opposite Duncan, rubbing the top of her left hand. "Court, try thinking about some other things… it'll take your mind off the pain."

Courtney nodded slightly and looked down at her hand. She smiled, thinking about her wedding day as she gazed lovingly at her wedding ring. It was slightly customized, though you'd be able to see it more on Duncan's band. He'd had their simple rings engraved with his trademark skull and the letters D.N.C., though Courtney had put up such a fuss about it that he'd made sure hers was engraved on the inside. He on the other hand, had to be a rebel with his handiwork in full show.

* * *

Duncan had been as handsome as ever that day, though for some reason he had reverted back to his old green mohawk just days before the wedding. She'd been a little angry about it, but it was his style. She loved him anyway.

It had been a beautiful fall day for their outdoor affair, just a month after they had left the island after the reunion show. Gwen, Trent, Bridgette and Geoff were all members of the wedding party. The day had gone on without much of a hitch. Most of the original cast of Total Drama Island had been invited, with a few exceptions. Heather showed up, uninvited, but thankfully she didn't ruin anything. As they went through their cards later on, Duncan and Courtney found Heather's card with a note offering her apologies for the part she played in Harold's scheme along with her best wishes.

In fact, the worst thing that happened was when Owen got a bit overexcited when he saw the large cake and tripped on his way over to it. He had fallen face first into the cake, but there was still enough for Duncan to shove into Courtney's face later that evening. And naturally, Chris was there to capture the whole thing. He'd had some idea for a new show called Total Drama Wedding, but there wasn't enough of it that day. Instead he sent the tape of the event to the happy couple with a note of well wishes and tickets for a cruise for their honeymoon.

* * *

Courtney growled slightly at the thought. It was Chris' gift that got her where she was right now!

* * *

After they'd returned from their honeymoon, Courtney and Duncan moved into a new home. It had a place for him to work on his tattooing business, which Courtney had now gotten involved with. He'd even talked her into getting a tattoo identical to the scroll on his arm. She only agreed to it because it was a symbol of their love and because he agreed to put it on her lower back rather than on her arm.

Courtney had also gotten involved with Duncan and Trent's musical career. Gwen had been handling all the arrangements for their shows, but she enjoyed the artistic aspect a lot more. Now that Courtney was their acting manager, Gwen had worked more on singing and song writing, which made them soar higher in popularity.

They'd been on a local tour for a few months, but Duncan cut a performance short when he'd heard from one of the crew that Courtney had just been rushed to the hospital.

* * *

As Courtney cried out in pain once again, Duncan stormed toward the door. "Hey! Can we get a doctor in here? My wife sounds like she's dying in here!"

A nurse stopped, at the doorway, holding a clipboard and looking harassed. "Be quiet! You'll disturb the other patients!" She pushed by Duncan and stepped into the room. She began to examine Courtney as Bridgette stood by, looking anxious as ever. The nurse snapped at her, "Stop looking so miserable. Courtney is perfectly fine."

Duncan was pretty angry after that remark. "What do you mean she's fine!? She's been screaming like this for an hour! Where's the doctor? I want a second opinion!"

The nurse continued to examine Courtney for another few moments. Her expression finally changed to one of concern and she walked hurriedly to the door. Duncan was about to go after her when he heard her calling to someone out of sight. Finally Courtney's doctor entered the room. He gave Duncan a stern look. "Duncan, I hear you making all kinds of ruckus in here. You have to settle down." He turned to Courtney. "It's time, Courtney."

Courtney looked horrified. "No! I don't want to do this anymore!"

Bridgette laughed, then squeezed Courtney's hand again. "It's too late for that now, Court. Start pushing."

Duncan's face went pale again. "Wait, what? It's like, _time_, time? Oh crap, what do I do?"

The doctor grinned evilly at Duncan. "You play catch, son."

For the next twenty minutes, Bridgette stayed by Courtney's side, wiping her head with a washcloth, encouraging her not to quit. Duncan stood at the end of the bed, wondering why on earth Courtney had refused painkillers. He could really use some at the moment.

Courtney was exhausted, she was pushing as the doctor told her to, but it was getting more difficult each time. She was also wondering why she refused painkillers. She would never make that mistake again, that's for sure. Just as she was about to lie back in defeat, she heard Duncan gasp. "One more, Princess! C'mon!"

She pushed once more, another yelp of pain escaping her lips, then she heard the sound that made all the pain worth it. The doctor stood up and smiled at her. "It's a boy."

Courtney sighed and lay back on the bed. The doctor laughed, "Courtney? You aren't quite done yet."

She sat back up, her eyes wide. "What!?"

"You didn't want to know what you were having when you had your ultrasound, so we didn't tell you. Now I guess it's a good time to let you know you're having twins."

Duncan promptly passed out. The doctor chuckled and called a nurse back into the room. "Yeah, I did the same thing when my wife found out she was having triplets."

Courtney sighed, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep right now, but there was a little more work to do. Luckily, her son's twin took much less effort before making her debut. Duncan had just been revived and he sat down in the chair next to Courtney's bed. He wiped sweat off of his forehead. "So... what else you got in there?" Courtney smiled. Duncan could always cheer her up with his corny jokes.

"Your daughter _was_ in there, but now there's a vacancy."

Duncan began to chuckle as the nurse brought his son to him, wrapped in a little blue blanket. "I'm a dad. That's funny." He studied the newborn, who opened up his eyes. They were dark, like Courtney's and he had a full head of fuzzy black hair. "Hey there buddy."

He looked over at Courtney, who was holding a similar bundle, only hers was wrapped in pink. "So, what are their names, Princess?"

She hardly took time to think about it, the names simply came to her. "Devon and Cayleigh. D.N.C? I thought it was fitting." She didn't take her eyes off the tiny baby girl in her arms. She began to hum a lullaby when Cayleigh opened her eyes slightly. Courtney could just barely tell that they were teal, just like Duncan's, and she had raven black hair, identical to her twin brother.

Courtney began to drift off to sleep as the nurse and doctor took the twins to the nursery for their weighing. The last thing she remembered was Duncan kissing her forehead and whispering, "Love you, Princess."

She woke up alone a few hours later. She was still very sore, but got out of bed and put on a robe. She made her way down to the nursery where sure enough, Duncan stood, joined by Gwen, Bridgette, Geoff, Trent, and… Chris?

Each one of them was grinning ear to ear, looking in at the twins, who lay sound asleep. Courtney's heart melted as she looked in at her children. They were so tiny and they had the cutest little booties and hats in pink and blue. Duncan put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. He looked exhausted, but overjoyed.

Chris walked up to Courtney and gave her a hug. "So yeah, I was talking to Duncan about a new idea for a show called Total Drama Daycare. I figured you, Bridgette and Gwen would be all over it. If you guys are any indication, your kids will be just as crazy and just as much fun!"

Courtney shook her head and laughed. "No, Chris." He started to protest, but she interrupted with a warning finger very close to his nose. "No. I want my kids to lead relatively normal lives, growing up with my best friends' normal kids." She indicated to both Bridgette and Gwen who were in various stages of pregnancy. Both girls nodded vehemently in agreement. Chris began to speak once more, but got a collective 'no' from everyone around him.

"Alright, well if you change your mind, you know where to find me. Good luck to you all!" Chris left the hospital feeling very pleased. As much as he enjoyed all the chaos that had happened at Camp Wawanakwa, he enjoyed the happy ending even more. But there was still more drama to be had and he was going to find it. As he approached his car, he grinned into the camera. He hadn't been allowed to bring it into the hospital, but he didn't want to have dragged the camera kid out here for nothing.

"Will Duncan and Courtney's kids be little angels, or little devils? Will all these kids end up together down the road at Camp Wawanakwa? Will I ever settle down, get married and have a family of my own?" He paused for a moment, then muttered, "Not likely... but who knows! Find out next time, on Total Drama … err… something I haven't come up with yet! Yeah we'll edit that later." The camera man chuckled and shut off the camera.

**_End._**

* * *

**I thought 17 was a good number to wrap up with. So that's the end of Ten Years Later. I really hope you all like the ending. I tried to tie up as many loose ends as I could. I had thought about writing in what happened with the remainder of the ten year reunion show, but it was mainly a Duncan and Courtney story. I'm really happy with the way things turned out in the end. **

**I have to say thank you all for your support, whether you liked it, loved it, (hated it.. man I hope not!) reviewed it or not, you gave me a bigger and better response than I ever thought possible. You guys are the best! 3**


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